Mars Hill, N.C. ? The Mars Hill College Football Team (6-2, 4-1) won its third straight game with a 24-7 win over Lenoir-Rhyne University (4-5, 1-4) Saturday afternoon in a South Atlantic Conference contest at the Ammons Family Athletic Center.? The Bears, meanwhile, suffered their third consecutive setback.

Mars Hill running back Jonas Randolph (Daleville, Ala.) carried the ball 31 times for 177 yards and three touchdowns while the Lion defense limited the Bears, the top-ranked rushing offense in NCAA Division II, to just 73 yards on the ground.

The Lions provided the only points of the first half when Randolph scored from 17 yards out with 2:37 remaining before intermission which concluded a seven-play, 60-yard drive.

Mars Hill pushed its advantage to 17-0 with 10 points in the third quarter on another touchdown run from Randolph (eight yards out) and a 25-yard field goal by Michael Pinkerton (Bogart, Ga.).? Randolph?s second score was set up by a Bear fumble at the L-R eight-yard line.

Lenoir-Rhyne?s lone score of the game came off a 33-yard touchdown reception by freshman wide receiver Artis Gilmore (Asheville, N.C.) from sophomore quarterback Major Herron (Kingsland, Ga.) with 13:49 left in the fourth quarter.? The play ended a six-play, 81-yard drive.

Mars Hill, however, responded with Randolph?s third and final touchdown of the game on the ensuing drive that put the contest away.? Randolph?s 12-yard score pushed the lead back to 17 points at 24-7 before Mars Hill stopped L-R on downs on the next possession.

Mars Hill finished with 401 yards of total offense including 220 on the ground while limiting Lenoir-Rhyne to just 220 total yards.

The Lions? quarterbacks, Jon Richt (Watkinsville, Ga.) and Luis Cruz (Anaheim, Calif.), passed for 96 and 85 yards, respectively, while Marzarius Samon (Jacksonville, Fla.) led the Mars Hill defense with 10 takedowns.

For Lenoir-Rhyne, Herron finished with 140 yards passing and one touchdown.? Freshman wide receiver Brandon Brown (Cedartown, Ga.) was Herron's favorite target as he caught four passes for 86 yards.

Junior safety Marcus Shuford (Newton, N.C.) led L-R?s defense with a game-high 12 tackles despite the loss.

Lenoir-Rhyne returns home to face Newberry next Saturday beginning at 2 p.m., in the annual Bishop?s Trophy Game.? The contest is also Senior Day for the Bears.? Mars Hill hits the road to face Tusculum in Greeneville, Tenn., next Saturday beginning at 2:30 p.m.