On the strength of a game-high 23 points from Lauren Avant, the Rhodes College women's basketball team defeated LeTourneau University, 55-38, on Saturday afternoon in the Solheim Arena.

The loss drops the YellowJackets to 2-1 on the 2013 campaign and the Lynx improve to 4-0. LeTourneau senior Julencia Curtis scored a team-best 10 points and shared in team-high honors with six rebounds.

Avant made 6 of 12 field goals and was 10 of 11 from the free-throw line for the visitors from Memphis. Teammate Symone Daniels grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds to lead the Lynx.

LeTourneau jumped out to a 9-2 lead to begin the contest. In the early lead, senior Ashley Fajardo continued her string of 3 pointers to begin the game as she hit one for the third game in a row.

A 19-5 run the by the Lynx midway through the first half put Rhodes ahead 24-14 with 4:49 to play in the opening stanza. Six of the 19 came from Avant to lead the visitors. LeTourneau junior Shi'rrell Williams gave the YellowJackets a spark off the bench with eight first half points in the first 20 minutes.

After cutting the deficit to six, 24-18, with a pair of free throw by Williams, the YellowJackets were unable to draw any closer. Rhodes scored six unanswered to put the lead at double digits for the rest of the contest.

The YellowJackets will now turn its attention to the rigors of the ASC with a contest on Tuesday, Nov. 26 at 5:30 p.m. against local rival, East Texas Baptist in Solheim Arena.