HARROGATE, Tenn. – The 20^th-ranked Lady Railsplitters started the game with an 8-0 run and never looked back as they pounded Coker 83-62 in South Atlantic Conference action Saturday afternoon.

With the win, LMU improves to 8-0 on the season and 3-0 in the South Atlantic Conference. The 8-0 start is the best in the program's modern era. The last time a LMU women's basketball team started out 8-0 was the 1940-41 season.

Shea Coker (Knoxville, Tenn.) led the team in scoring for the third time in the past four games as she had 20 points to lead all scorers. Megan Pittman (Liberty, Ky.) had 13 points and 13 rebounds while Karsen Sims (Gatlinburg, Tenn.) chipped in 12 points and five assists. Josey Harding (Middletown, Ohio) added in 10 rebounds.

The Cobras were led by Caitland Considine's 18 points and six rebounds. Iresha Cooper and Lindsey Adams each added in 14 points.

Neither team had a great shooting night as LMU shot 49 percent (33-67) to Coker's 36 percent (21-59). Turnovers plagued both teams as they combined for a total of 55 in the contest (Coker 30 – LMU 25).

For the eighth straight game, LMU owned the rebounding advantage as they pulled down 44 rebounds to Coker's 30.

It was the Shea Coker and Karsen Sims show early as they scored LMU's first 11 points of the game. Coker got things going early with the quick layup, followed by a three pointer a minute later. Sims then buried a long-range three to put LMU ahead 8-0. After the Cobras scored on a jumper from Trai Johnson, three pointers by Sims and Sydnie Anderson (Cleveland, Tenn.) put the Lady Railsplitters ahead 14-2 with 4:28 left in the first quarter. Coker would start to heat up a bit late in the frame, but LMU held a 25-12 advantage at the end of the period.

Both team would have long scoring droughts in the second quarter, with LMU holding a 10-9 advantage in that stanza. Coker would only score one basket and a free throw for over six and a half minutes while LMU only managed to score one free throw over the last 5:58 of the period. Despite the absent scoring, the Lady Railsplitters led 36-21 at the half.

Coker would take advantage of another LMU scoring drought in the third period to shave ten points off the lead, cutting it to 43-35 with 4:31 left in the third quarter. LMU's Shea Coker then almost single-handedly shot LMU into a 14-0 run as she scored six points and assisted on two more to put the Lady Railsplitters back up by 22 late in the period. The Cobras would score four points late to cut the lead to 57-39 after three quarters.

The Cobras would again make a small run to cut it to 59-46 with eight minutes left in the game, but LMU quickly built the lead back up to 20 and held on for the 83-62 win.

LMU finishes up their three-game SAC home stand on Monday when they host Brevard. The Tornados come into the game with a 4-1 record, having lost their first game of the season earlier today when they fell at Lenoir-Rhyne 71-37. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. in the Tex Turner Arena.