CONWAY, Ark. – The Rhodes women's basketball team kicked off the 2014-2015 season with a win against Rust College on Saturday, 66-57.
 
The Lynx open the season with a 1-0 record while the Bearcats begin 2014-205 with a 0-1 record.
 
The contest was a close one, as neither team was able to post a significant lead in the opening minutes. A Blaire Smith three at the 13:02 mark gave Rhodes a four point lead at 11-7. Rust charged back to tie the contest at 9:58, but a pair of back-to-back Hannah Orth three's gave Rhodes a 17-14 advantage with 9:06 to play. 
 
Rhodes pushed a 12 point run to the 3:36 mark, aided by a pair of layups from Bailey Kramer and another Smith three pointer to take a 27-16 lead with 3:36 to play. The Lynx kept their distance, sustaining a double digit lead through the half. Rhodes took a 39-28 lead into the break.
 
At the half, four different Lynx had six points in Symone Daniels, Kramer, Smith and Orth. Rhodes posted 48.3 percent shooting from the field in the opening half, with an impressive 41.7 percent from beyond the three-point arc. Kala Williams led Rust's efforts at the half, tallying nine points. The Bearcats shot 27.6 percent from the field.
 
Kramer opened the second half of action with another lay-in, to push ahead 41-28. The Lynx weren't letting off the gas, as they mounted a seven point run, with a Daniels three pointer and Kramer lay-up to lead 50-32 at the 15:53 mark. Coach Matt Dean's squad continued to distance themselves from their counterparts, as a Daniels layup at the 10:31 mark gave the Lynx a 56-41 advantage.
 
The Lynx withstood a 9-2 run from the Bearcats to close out the half, wrapping up the 66-57 win.
 
Williams led Rust with 16 points and six rebounds and Suzzette Suggs added seven points to the Bearcats total.
 
The Lynx offensive efforts were led by Daniels, who finished with 18 points and one rebound shy of a double-double at nine. Kramer added 13 points for the Lynx, with Sarah Johnson chipping in eight points and nine assists in the outing.
 
Rhodes will be back in action on Nov. 16 against MacMurray College in Conway, Ark. At 1 p.m.