LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Transylvania University Pioneers, ranked No. 25 in the latest USA TODAY Sports Division III national poll, used a game-high 23 points from Katelyn Smith, as well as considerable advantage the free throw line, to post a 78-59 win over the visiting Kenyon College Ladies in Saturday's opening round of the two-day Pat Deacon Classic.

The loss was the first of the season for the Ladies (4-1), who move on to play in Sunday's 1 p.m. consolation game against Greensboro College, a team that lost 93-55 to Otterbein University in the Classic's other Saturday contest at Transylvania.

From the field, Transylvania (3-1) shot the ball about as well as Kenyon. The Pioneers were 23-of-54 (42.6 percent), while the Ladies were 24-of-56 (42.9 percent). At the free throw line, however, the Pioneers were 21-of-25 (84.0 percent), while Kenyon was just 7-of-12 (58.3 percent).

Eleven of Transylvania's 23 field goals were three-pointers and three of those treys came from Smith, a senior guard who entered the game averaging 19 points per contest. She finished 8-of-13 overall, 3-of-6 from long range and a perfect 4-of-4 at the line.

Smith got the Pioneers off to a good start, scoring 18 of her 23 in the first half. She scored seven of the Pioneers' first nine points, giving her team a 9-8 edge and a lead they would never relinquish.

Kenyon led twice in the first few minutes, but then fell behind by as many as nine points in the second quarter and by as many as 15 in the third quarter.

Kenyon starters struggled to score. Juniors Bailey Dominguez and Sidney Cera each had eight points and sophomore Ifeoma Archimalo had six. Off the bench, junior Charlotte Bussema dropped in another eight points and freshman Jessica Gerber added seven. Cera also contributed five assists and three steals, while freshman Lane Davis led the team with four rebounds.

Transylvania outrebounded Kenyon 36-26 and scored 15 second-chance points. In addition to Smith's 23, the Pioneers also received 15 points from Shawn Kolani, who was 4-of-11 from three-point territory and 3-of-3 at the charity stripe.

Trailing by 14 points going into the fourth and final frame, Kenyon could not muster a rally. The Ladies missed their first eight field goal attempts of the quarter and went just 2-of-14 over those final ten minutes.