MEMPHIS - In a rematch of last season's epic SAA Championship Game, one that the Rhodes College women's lacrosse team won a gritty 8-7 game to clinch their second consecutive title, the Lynx had a message for the Colonels.

There was going to be nothing gritty, nothing to grind out, in this one.

Rhodes scored eight straight in the first half and dominated the Colonels to an 18-8 win on Saturday afternoon at Mason Field.

The Lynx out shot the Colonels 39-26 and forced 25 Centre turnovers on the afternoon. Rhodes picked up 30 ground balls as well as 13 draw controls as they overcame an unusually slow start to smother Centre.

The Colonels took advantage of the slow start, scoring two in the first seven minutes for the two goal lead.

However, Rhodes had a response, scoring eight straight goals in the next 14 minutes to take an 8-2 lead. Juniors Maggie Rippeto and Kendall Cunningham scored two each during hte run while junior Olivia Holmes, junior Erin Gleeson, senior Ashley Dill, and senior Lindsay Gess all added goals.

Centre got the game to 8-3 at half and kept it at 9-4 early in the second half, but Rhodes scored eight of the next nine goals to move ahead 17-5 as the Lynx continued to show that they have been the team to beat all season.

The Colonels added some late goals, but it was not enough as Rhodes finished off Centre for the 18-8 win.

Rippeto finished with seven points including six goals and an assist while Cunningham had five points including four goals and an assist. Gess finished with a hat trick while Gleeson and sophomore Annika Hedlund each had three point, scoring one and adding two assists. 

Junior Ashley Doyle, Dill, and Holmes all had a goal and an assist while freshman Kaeley Bennett had two assists.

Junior Rachel Windmueller was terrific with three caused turnovers and two ground balls while freshman Madison Rubino had three caused turnovers and three ground balls. Doyle, Bennett, and sophomore Daly Colarossi all had two caused turnovers.

Gess finished with five ground balls while Hedlund and Dill each had four. Junior Katherine Tooley got the win in goal, finishing with seven saves. Rhodes completely shutdown Hannah Bellamah, currently third in the SAA in points behind Rippeto and Cunningham, who finished with no points for the first time in her illustrious career.

The Lynx move to 15-0 overall and 6-0 in the SAA. They will look to close in on the outright regular season title and the right to host the SAA Championship for the first time in school history, as well as their first undefeated season in school history, as they take on Sewanee on the road at 1 PM.