HARROGATE, Tenn. -- It's been almost two months since an opponent has taken the second-ranked Railsplitters (19-0, 13-0 SAC) down to the wire and the last foe to do so awaits on Saturday afternoon as Lincoln Memorial makes the 350-mile trek to Hartsville, S.C. for a SAC battle against the Coker Cobras (8-9, 7-6 SAC). Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. inside of the newly built Harris E. & Louise H. DeLoach Center.
 
Lincoln Memorial enters Saturday's contest riding the longest overall winning streak in the nation as well as the longest single conference winning streak among any of the NCAA Division II's 25 leagues. After Wednesday night's dismantling of Brevard, the Railsplitters have captured 24 consecutive South Atlantic Conference games, a stretch that dates back to February 8 of the 2013-14 campaign. LMU also boasts the nation's second-longest active road winning streak with eight straight triumphs away from Tex Turner.
 
No. 1 ranked Indianapolis was beaten by No. 20 UW-Parkside on Thursday night, leaving the Railsplitters as the last remaining unbeaten in the Division II ranks. Lincoln Memorial has won 16 of its 19 games this season by double digits with an on-going string of 11 consecutive games won by double figures, but the last team to play the Railsplitters to a single-digit margin is next on the docket: the Coker Cobras.
 
Back in early December, the Railsplitters withstood a late surge and some cold shooting to hand the Cobras a 79-71 defeat. In that December 6th meeting at Tex Turner, Coker limited one of the nation's most efficient shooting teams to a season-low 37.9 percent mark, the Railsplitters' worst shooting percentage since February, 2012. Three-pointers and free throws helped the Railsplitters overcome their offensive woes as they hit eight triples and produced 27 points at the charity stripe. Sophomore Curtis Webb (Spartanburg, S.C.) scored a career-high 20 points with five three-pointers, while Lorenza Ross (Savannah, Ga.) added 16 points. Keenan Peterson (College Park, Ga.) grabbed a then season-high 16 rebounds. 
 
The Railsplitters enter Saturday's rematch following an 88-49 demolition of the Brevard Tornados. LMU held the visiting unit to just 49 points - the fewest by a SAC opponent this season - on 29.3 percent shooting. The duo of Darius Moose and Trevon Shaw came into that contest combining for nearly 35 points per game, and the Railsplitters held the pair to just 16 total points. Lincoln Memorial, meanwhile, shot 51.7 percent and put four players in double figures. Luquon Choice (Laurens, S.C.) nearly outscored the Tornados by himself in the first half, posting 20 of his game-high 24 points in the opening stanza. Peterson added 16 points and 15 rebounds, while Ross chipped in 14 points and six assists. Along with his suffocating defense, Webb collected 12 points and seven boards in 22 minutes off the bench.
 
Senior point guard Lorenza Ross needs just two points to hit a career milestone and become the 25th player in program history to score 1,000 career points. With nine regular-season games remaining, Ross is well on his way to the most productive scoring season of his brilliant four-year tenure with the Railsplitters. He has racked up 256 total points this season, trailing his 2013-14 point total by 53 points.
 
The Cobras are an even 5-5 since the first meeting against the Railsplitters. It's been a series of highs and lows for Coker over that stretch as they picked up big wins over Wingate, Newberry and Carson-Newman while suffering unusual losses to 11th place Tusculum and 12th place Mars Hill.
 
Wednesday was another high note for the Cobras, who grinded out a 67-62 victory over the Wingate Bulldogs. Coker found a way to win despite seeing the SAC's leading scorer, Errick Bethel, get held to a season-low five points. The Cobras shot 52.4 percent in the game and accrued a 10-point advantage at the charity stripe. Five different players scored nine or more points for the Cobras, led by Trey Marshall's 12 points.
 
Bethel leads the South Atlantic Conference in scoring at 19.7 points per game on 39.1 percent shooting. Prior to Wednesday night's five-point performance, the senior guard had scored 20-plus points in five consecutive games. Senior forward Larry Felder was averaging 12.8 points and six rebounds per contest, but he has not played since November 29. Donte Samuels has flourished in his absence, logging 11.9 points and 4.7 boards per appearance. Marshall is scoring 9.6 points and dishing out 3.7 assists per contest.
 
The Cobras have not lost at home since December 13, winning four straight games at the DeLoach Center by an average margin of 14 points. For the season, Coker has shot more than eight percentage points better at home as opposed to on the road.
 
The Railsplitters are aiming to sweep the regular-season series against Coker for the second straight year. Lincoln Memorial pulled out a 78-67 victory in Hartsville last season, shooting an otherworldly 63.3 percent in that contest. Curtis McMillion (Fayetteville, N.C.) turned in a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds, while Ross scored 14 points and handed out five assists. 
 
Tip-off is slated for 4 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. Live stats and a video broadcast will be available through www.CokerCobras.com, while fans can listen along with Voice of the Railsplitters Rusty Peace live from the DeLoach Center at WLMU 91.3 the Gap.

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