CONWAY, Ark. – Rhodes high-powered offence smothered Hendrix 72-34 on Wednesday night in the Lynx conference opening match.
 
Coach Matt Dean's squad kept their record clean, advancing to 5-0 and 1-0 in league play, while the Warriors fall to 2-5 and start conference with a 0-1 record.
 
Rhodes took their time getting on the board, scoring their first points at the 17:23 mark when Lauren Avant connected on a mid-range jumper to make the count 2-2, the only tie the Lynx would allow.
 
The Lynx applied the pressure liberally and caused 13 Warrior turnovers in the first half. Rhodes went on a 14-2 run at the 11:20 mark, where the Lynx were able to convert those Hendrix turnovers into points. The Lynx continued to cushion their lead with the help of an Avant three with 1:34 left in the half, making the count 28-15. A pair of Avant steals and lay-ins to finish the half gave the Lynx a 32-20 lead at the break.
 
As a team, the Lynx shot 35 percent from the field in the first half, with only two made three pointers. The warriors put up 30 percent from the field in the opening period. Rhodes dominated their opponents in the paint, scoring 20 points in the lane to the Warriors eight.
 
Avant was the halftime leader with 17 points. Sarah Johnson added five points to Rhodes halftime total, with Bailey Kramer tipping in four.
 
Rhodes continued its dominance in the second half picking up where they left off, with Avant scoring the next seven points off a pair of two's and a made three point basket to push the Lynx ahead 41-20. The Lynx hit their highest lead, a 42 point margin, when Hannah Orth drained a three with 3:05 left to play. The Lynx' defense held the Warriors to 14 total points in the second half. Rhodes' Cathy Waylan notched the Lynx final point with a made free throw to give the squad the 72-34 victory.
 
The Lynx shot a game total 40 percent from the field, including over 30 percent from beyond the three point arc. Hendrix shot 24 percent from the field in the contest. The Lynx had 40 points in the paint, and an impressive 25 points off turnovers.
 
The Warrior's offensive efforts were led by Caitlyn Kriesel-Bigler, who had seven of Hendrix' points. Katie Coughran added six total points, while Estrella Flores added five.
 
Avant was the game leader with 26 points and also finished with her first double-double of the season, pulling in 14 rebounds. The senior also had four assists, two blocked shots and two steals in the outing. Dy'nelle Todman also had a double figure night, netting 12 points, five rebounds and two steals. Johnson added 10 to the Lynx total, grabbing six rebounds and handing out an impressive eight assists. Kramer doubled her first half score, ending with eight points also pulling down seven rebounds and coming up with five steals for the Lynx.
 
Rhodes will prepare for a three game Texas road trip, where the Lynx will face off against Austin College, Centenary College and Southwestern University, which will be their first stop. The Lynx will face the Pirates on Dec. 14 at 5 p.m.