Led by Zyhia Johnson's 20 points, LC overpowered Salisbury (Maryland) University 73-56 Friday at home in Mariotti Gym.
The teams' first meeting, the contest was defined by strong second and third quarters by the Panthers.
"Today was a good hard-fought win for us," said Head Coach Jasen Jonus. "Everyone contributed and played unselfishly the entire game.
"We had some of our best practices all year coming back from Christmas break. That helped build the momentum coming into this game, and we followed through to get the win."
The first quarter was a back-and-forth affair, but LC took the lead one minute into the second and never looked back.
The Panthers outscored the Sea Gulls 55 to 28 in the middle two periods, nearly doubling their opponents' efforts.
Some foul trouble slowed LC in the final quarter, but the team's lead was too much for Salisbury to overcome.
Gracie Brunel contributed 11 points and 7 rebounds to the win, with Amanda Mclendon bringing down 8 rebounds.
"We have been preaching every day about playing tougher and more together," Jonus said. "It showed today with our presses and with our extra passes to get the open shot.
"I'm so proud of our effort, and I hope this helps propel us into conference play."
The Panthers open their first Collegiate Conference of the South competition on Tuesday against Wesleyan at home at 5 p.m.
