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The Lindenwood Lady Lions basketball team kicked off its 2010-11 season with a win over visiting Lindenwood-Belleville 81-74.

The Lady Lions started the game on an 11-2 run to take an early nine point lead. Midway through the first half the lead would balloon to 17 after Sarah Schnieders connected on a jumper. The Lynx would begin to chip away at the lead getting to within eight with just over five minutes to play in the first half. But the Lady Lions would use a 9-3 run over the final two minutes to take a 17 point lead into the locker room.

As the second half began it looked like the home team would be running away with it as the Lady Lions extended the lead to 22. But the Lynx would not go away. The visitors used a 16-2 run over a four minute span to cut the Lady Lions lead to six. The margin would teeter between six and eight until the 5:50 mark when the Lynx would get within two points.

New Lady Lion Morgan Harrington would push the lead back to five with a key three-point field goal. But a mistake by the Lady Lions would send Destini Wilson of Lindenwood-Belleville to the free throw line for three shots. Wilson would make all three and trim the lead back to two. Leading by just two the Lady Lions made three straight baskets capped off by a lay-up by Casey Junge to push the lead back to six. From that point on, all Lindenwood had to do was connect on some free throws and it would hold on for the win.

Harrington led the way for the Lady Lions with 20 points and was seven for eight from the free throw line. Kelly Albers chipped in with 13 and Schnieders led the way on the boards with 10 to go along with nine points. All 11 Lady Lions who played scored at least two points.As a team Lindenwood shot 75% from the charity stripe, including a perfect 13 of 13 in the first 20 minutes.

The win was the first career victory for new head coach Tony Francis.

Up next for the Lady Lions is a road game against Harris-Stowe State College on Saturday afternoon.