Morrow, Ga. - The Lenoir-Rhyne Women's Basketball Team (4-1) opened the Loch Shop Classic with a 74-61 victory over North Georgia (2-4) Saturday afternoon at the Athletics & Fitness Center.

L-R junior forward Kierra Phillips (Gaffney, S.C.) led the way with a team-high 13 points off the bench as the Bears won their fourth consecutive game.

Freshman guard Jordan Hiatt (Mount Airy, N.C.) added 12 points and eight rebounds while junior guard Brittany Christian (Raleigh, N.C.) tallied 11 points as the Bears picked up a key victory away from home.

North Georgia All-American Jaymee Carnes (Gainesville, Ga.) led all scorers with 24 points but the Saints shot just 32 percent (25-of-78) for the contest including 22 percent (five-of-23) from behind?the three-point line in the loss.

Lenoir-Rhyne held a 38-37 lead at halftime but broke the contest opened in the second half.

The Bears used a 15-2 run in the second half capped off by a lay-up from junior forward Whitney Brinkley (Asheville, N.C.) for a 60-45 lead with just under eight minutes remaining and cruised to the win.

On the final day of the tournament on Sunday, Lenoir-Rhyne faces fifth-ranked and unbeaten Clayton State (4-0), the host school, at 3:30 p.m.? North Georgia, meanwhile, will take on Chowan in the first game of the classic on Sunday beginning at 1:30 p.m.