GAFFNEY, S.C. - The Lincoln Memorial University women's basketball team (4-3, 3-3 South Atlantic Conference) used a 25-5 opening run to blow past Limestone (3-6, 3-6) and take home a decisive 76-62 victory inside the Timken Center Wednesday evening. LMU shot 51 percent from the field and all five starters finished in double figures in the scoring column.

The Lady Railsplitters could do no wrong early as Jordan Maney scored five points and Lindsay Proffitt hit a three pointer, forcing an early timeout by the Saints. Lexi Kiser then hit a three pointer to give LMU an 11-0 lead before Limestone got in the scoring column with a Reagan Kargo layup. Six more points by Maney and Kiser extended the lead to 15 before a Josie Long three pointer, but Kassidy Kenny hit a three pointer of her own to give the Lady Railsplitters a 20-5 lead with less than four minutes to play in the opening stanza. Two Lauren Flowers free throws and another Kenny three pointer gave LMU a 25-5 lead before Long scored once again. Proffitt and Alaan West then traded threes to end the quarter with LMU leading 28-10.

A Maney layup early in the second quarter got the lead back to 20 before Charlotte Terry and Quin Byrd made back-to-back baskets, but Kiser hit a three pointer to keep the lead at 19. A Reagan McCray three trimmed the lead to 16, but Kiser scored once again. Consecutive threes by Limestone cut the lead to 12 before the game settled into a back and forth affair. Proffitt made a three pointer to close out the quarter and give LMU a 42-27 lead heading into the locker room.

Lynadia Whiting and Grace Day traded baskets coming out of the halftime break before Quin Byrd made a basket to trim the lead to 13. After a Kiser free throw, McCray made a three to get the Saints within 11. Flowers and Whiting then traded two-point buckets before another Day layup. A 5-0 run by Limestone cut the lead to single digits for the first time since the first quarter, but the Lady Railsplitters responded with five points of their own. A McCray three and two Byrd free throws got the lead back to eight, but Kiser and Flowers scored to get it back to 12. Limestone closed out the quarter strong and closed within eight points on a Long layup with three seconds left in the period.

LMU scored the first four points of the final stanza before a Byrd three pointer, but the Saints would never get closer again. Two Flowe_LMrs free throws a little more than halfway through the quarter extended the lead to 13 before Limestone closed with 11 one last time, but the Lady Railsplitters outscored them 7-4 to close the game.

Maney led the team with a career-high 20 points, a career-high tying nine rebounds, and a career-high five assists, while Kiser had 16 points with five rebounds and six assists. Flowers finished with 12 points and Proffitt had 10, while Day played a career-high 27 minutes and finished with a career-high 10 points and a career-high tying six rebounds. 

The Lady Railsplitters will return home to Harrogate as they host Mars Hill inside the friendly confines of B. Frank "Tex" Turner Arena this coming Saturday, Jan. 16 at 2 p.m.