HARROGATE, Tenn. -- The top-ranked Railsplitters (16-0, 10-0 SAC) hit the midway point of the South Atlantic Conference schedule on Wednesday night as Josh Schertz's squad travels to Mars Hill, N.C. for an in-league battle against the Mars Hill Lions (7-9, 2-8 SAC). Tip-off in that contest is slated for 8 p.m. inside of Stanford Arena.
 
Lincoln Memorial took over sole possession of the second-best start in program history by claiming its 16th consecutive win - the longest current winning streak in Division II - in a 101-69 drubbing of the Queens Royals on Saturday afternoon at Tex Turner Arena. The Railsplitters raced out to a commanding 21-5 lead and kept the throttle hammered down, shooting 52.9 percent from the floor, draining a season-high 12 three-pointers on only 20 tries and topping the 100-point plateau for the fifth time this season. Dorian Pinson (Greenville, S.C.) led a group of six Railsplitters in double figures, scoring 18 points while adding seven rebounds, five assists and three blocks in 25 minutes of action.
 
With losses to then No. 1 West Liberty and No. 5 Colorado Mines this past weekend, the Railsplitters are one of just two remaining unbeaten teams in the Division II ranks. Indianapolis is the only other team in DII yet to experience a loss this season. Wednesday's contest marks the halfway point of the SAC season, and the Railsplitters have already established significant traction in the race for their third consecutive SAC regular-season title and fourth in the last five seasons. Following back-to-back losses to Newberry, Lincoln Memorial has gained a three-game head of steam in the current league standings.
 
LMU's host, the Mars Hill Lions, enter Wednesday's contest trending in a different direction with a streak of six straight losses dating back to a 79-57 setback at Pfeiffer on December 20. The Lions lost a pair of nail biters to Queens (71-68) and Carson-Newman (64-62) during that stretch, but were bullied by Catawba in an 86-63 loss on Saturday. Mars Hill shot just 33.3 percent in the game and went 6-for-23 from three-point territory in its second straight double-digit point loss.
 
The Railsplitters are vying for their 12th consecutive win over the Lions since February 11, 2010. Over that span, only one game has been decided by less than 10 points, a 71-68 victory at Mars Hill during the 2010-11 campaign. Included in that stretch, Lincoln Memorial opened SAC play this season by capturing a 79-67 win over the Lions on November 19. The Railsplitters shot 53.6 percent in the game and went 7-of-14 from deep to fuel the win. Lorenza Ross (Savannah, Ga.) poured in a season-high 19 points on 9-of-14 shooting, while Luquon Choice (Laurens, S.C.) scored 18 points with four three-pointers.
 
Mars Hill has thrived in creating scoring opportunities, ranking second in the SAC with more than 64 shot attempts per game while leading the league with nearly 16 offensive rebounds per appearance. But the Lions have been unable to capitalize on their myriad chances, converting just 40.5 percent of their field-goal attempts this season. The Lions are shooting a meek 32.7 percent from three-point range on a hefty 25.6 attempts per contest. Defensively, Mars Hill is relinquishing 72.6 points per game on 45.7 percent shooting. Opponents are hitting 38.6 percent of their three-point tries against the Lions.
 
The Lions are led in scoring by Justin Yeargin, who is contributing 14 points, 2.7 assists and 2.2 rebounds per game on an even 40 percent shooting. Yeargin missed 12 games from November 25 to January 14 before returning to the lineup against Catawba on Saturday, when he scored 10 points in 20 minutes. Michael Carson is scoring 12.7 points in only 19 minutes per game, while Patrick Monroe is pitching in 11.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per appearance. Isaiah Cuthbertson is nearly averaging a double-double with 9.9 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.
 
Cuthbertson paced the Lions in that November 19th meeting with the Railsplitters, scoring 16 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in 34 minutes. Thomas Anderson - averaging six points per game - tallied a season-high 13 points, as did Monroe.
 
The Railsplitters and Lions are scheduled to get underway at 8 p.m. on Wednesday in Mars Hill, N.C. Live stats and a video broadcast will be available for Wednesday's contest via www.marshilllions.com, while fans can also follow the game with Voice of the Railsplitters Rusty Peace at WLMU 91.3 the Gap.

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