MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Dy'Nelle Todman's career-high night helps lead the Rhodes women's basketball team past Austin College on Saturday, 54-53.
 
The Lynx survive and improve to 4-1 on the year, while the Roo's fall to 2-3.
 
In a close contest, it was Austin who got off to a hot start, opening the game with a 7-3 run down to the 14:08 mark, to take and early 9-5 lead. The Lynx were able to stay within striking distance, as a pair of Sarah Johnson free throws brought Rhodes to within one with 8:19 to play in the half, at 13-12.
 
An 11-5 run by Austin, featuring a Jenna Longo three and a pair of Christina Kime free throws, stretched the Lynx deficit to seven, with 4:02 to play at 24-17. Coach Matt Dean's squad would not go quietly as they fought to close out the half with a 10-2 run, including threes from Madison Butler and Dy'Nelle Todman. The Lynx took their first lead of the game into the half, at 28-26.
 
Todman led all scorers at the midway point with 12. Kramer added seven to the Lynx totals. Brianna Harvey chipped in 10 points for the Roo's.
 
The Lynx posted 26.9 percent from the field, while pulling in 18 first half rebounds. The Roo's managed a 29.6 field goal percentage, with just 22.2 percent from beyond the arc. Austin edged the Lynx in rebounds with 22.
 
After a slow start to the second half for the Lynx, Todman evened things up at 30-30 with a made jumper with 16:03 to play. The two teams traded leads, with a statement Erin Deery three, grabbing the 35-34 lead at the 11:59 mark.
 
With the Lynx advantage slipping, a key Todman trey gave Rhodes another lead, at 45-43 with 5:27 left in the ball game. After a pair of free-throws at the 3:17 mark, the Lynx pushed the margin out to 48-45. But the Roo's weren't giving up as they went on a 5-0 swing fueled by free throws, to take the 51-48 lead with 1:07 to play.
 
A determined Johnson drove to the basket for the layup to cut the Lynx deficit to one at the 1:02 mark, at 51-50. Again, with the game on the line, Johnson drained a jumper to give Rhodes a 52-51 advantage at the 22 second mark. However on the opposite end, it was a Lynx foul that sent the Roo's leading scorer, Kime to the charity stripe, and her two free throws regained the Austin lead with 11 seconds to play.
 
Todman was the Rhodes hero as she knocked down a six-foot jumper out of a Lynx timeout to give Rhodes the 54-53 lead with six seconds to play. The Lynx held on for the win, forcing an Austin turnover, downing the Roo's 54-53.
 
Todman notched 20 points and eight rebounds in the contest to lead all scorers. Daniels was the only other Lynx to reach double figures with her 11 points and four rebounds. Harvey led the Roo's with 15 points, with Kime chipping in 12.
 
Rhodes held the Roo's to just 31.9 percent shooting from the field, and 28.6 percent from beyond the arc. The Lynx fired a 29.6 field goal percentage, knocking down four, big time threes. The Lynx forced 20 turnovers in the outing, but were outrebounded by a 38-34 margin.
 
The Lynx will open conference play just around the corner, on Dec. 3 when they host Hendrix College, with a 6 p.m. tip-off.