Jefferson City, Tenn. - The Lenoir-Rhyne University Women's Basketball Team (11-2, 3-1) made it four wins in a row with an 80-69 victory over Carson-Newman College (8-4, 2-2) Saturday afternoon in a South Atlantic Conference game at Holt Fieldhouse.

L-R junior guard Whitley Culler (Mount Airy, N.C.) led the way with a game-high 18 points in addition to nine rebounds while senior guard Cameron Sealey (Mount Holly, N.C.) added 16 points for the Bears en route to the win.

Carson-Newman, which lost for the fourth straight time at home to Lenoir-Rhyne, was led by Zoriah Williams' (Calera, Ala.) 16 points and 11 rebounds.

Lenoir-Rhyne jumped out to a 17-point lead on two occasions midway through the first half - 26-9 and 28-11 - before entering the break with a 44-28 advantage.

Carson-Newman rallied to cut the lead to 69-61 on a pair of free throws by Courdne Miles (Burlington, N.C.) with 2:50 left but Lenoir-Rhyne wouldn't let the Eagles get any closer the rest of the way.

Sophomore?guard Alexis Katt (Euharlee, Ga.) also scored in double figures for the Bears as she came off the bench to?finish with?10 points.

Shannon Depew (Newport, Tenn.) was second player for Carson-Newman to tally a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds but the Eagles shot just 33 percent (23-of-69) for the game including 22 percent (six-of-27) from behind the three-point line.

Lenoir-Rhyne, off to its best start in four years, shot 51 percent (25-of-49) from the field and connected on 26-of-38 free throw attempts.

In addition, Lenoir-Rhyne seventh-year Head Coach Todd Starkey tied Pat Smith (1977-82) for the most wins as Bear mentor in school history with 114.

In the next round of South Atlantic Conference games on Wednesday, L-R returns home to face Wingate while Carson-Newman plays Tusculum in Greeneville, Tenn.? Both contests begin at 6 p.m.