The Lindenwood Lady Lions won their fifth straight game to start the season on Tuesday night 80-75 over the McKendree Bearcats in Lebanon, Ill. Kassidy Gengenbacher and Jenny Rocha both had career nights scoring to help lead the team to the victory.

Gengenbacher and Rocha combined for 48 of the Lady Lions 80 points. The duo was 16-of-31 shooting and was also 11-of-16 from the free throw line. Gengenbacher led the way with 30 points while Rocha chipped in with 18.

The game started out with the both team's offenses playing well. The biggest lead of the early going was three by the Lady Lions. Midway through the first half though, Lindenwood's defense started to get some stops and would push its lead up to seven with just under 10 minutes to play in the first half.

McKendree was able to cut within three but another late push in the final moments of the first by the Lady Lions extended the lead back up to nine at the buzzer.

The second half started quickly for Lindenwood. The Lady Lions went on a 6-2 run to push the scored to 52-38. The Bearcats did not back down after falling by 14. McKendree cut the lead to five after a 9-0 run.

Over the next 10 minutes of game play, the teams would trade baskets and points. McKendree was able to cut its deficit down to two with 7:58 to play. Then the Lindenwood offense woke back up and quickly pushed its lead up to 10 with just under four minutes to play.

The home team still did not go away easily. Caty Ponce scored back-to-back layups with under a minute to go for McKendree to get within three. But that would be as close as the home team would get as the Lady Lions went four-for-four from the free throw line to close the game.

Lindenwood shot 44 percent from the field and 44 percent from the three-point line as well. The Lady Lions held the Bearcats to just 38 percent shooting. McKendree outrebounded Lindenwood 46-40 including 18-13 on the offensive glass.

The win improved the Lady Lions to 5-0 on the season. Up next for Lindenwood is the start of MIAA play when the Lady Lions travel to Central Oklahoma on Dec. 4.