HARROGATE, Tenn. -- The Lady Railsplitters (1-2) commence South Atlantic Conference play and make their Tex Turner Arena debut on Tuesday night at 6 p.m. when they host the unbeaten Carson-Newman Eagles (4-0).
 
The Carson-Newman rivalry is the longest in the history of the Lincoln Memorial women's basketball program, as Tuesday will be the 88th all-time meeting between the two programs. The Lady Railsplitters trail the series 40-47, but own a 25-19 advantage in Harrogate and have won four of the last five against the Eagles.
 
Lincoln Memorial enters the South Atlantic Conference opener looking to build off of an impressive 75-54 win at Lees-McRae last Wednesday. The Lady Railsplitters scored the first 10 points of that contest and established a 19-5 lead by the end of the first period to power the 21-point victory over the Bobcats. Kiara Rawls (Killeen, Texas) paced the visiting team with 12 points in 23 minutes off of the bench, while Josey Harding (Middletown, Ohio) and Megan Pittman (Liberty, Ky.) both recorded double-doubles. Harding had 11 points and 10 boards while Pittman produced 11 points and a game-high 11 rebounds to help the Lady Railsplitters accumulate a 57-26 rebounding edge. Additionally, Lincoln Memorial limited Lees-McRae to 36.5 percent shooting with a 4-for-14 mark from three-point territory.
 
Carson-Newman, meanwhile, is coming off of a signature 70-68 win over No. 6 nationally-ranked Columbus State on Saturday in Jefferson City, Tenn. The Eagles trailed by as many as 10 points in that contest and never led until Katie Stubblefield knocked down a pair of free throws with three seconds left in regulation to seal the victory. Carson-Newman shot 50 percent from the field and went 7-for-12 from three-point range while holding the reigning Peach Belt Conference champions to 41.9 percent shooting. Tatum Burstrom willed the Eagles to a 4-0 start with 19 points on a 5-of-8 clip from deep, while Stubblefield added 15 points and a team-high six rebounds in 28 minutes off of the bench.
 
Through four games, the Eagles lead the South Atlantic Conference in field goal percentage with a 46.8 percent clip while ranking third in three-point field goal percentage at 43.8 percent. Carson-Newman is recording 16.8 assists per game and commits the third-fewest turnovers per game in the SAC with 16.0. Additionally, the Eagles are limiting opponents to 22.6 percent shooting from the three.
 
Three different Eagles are accounting for double-figure points per game, led by Burstrom's 17.5 points per game on 50 percent shooting. Kailyn Brooks is contributing 11.0 points on 42.9 percent shooting, while Taylor Peterson is adding 10.3 points per game on a 48.5 percent mark. Jecca Simerly is the team's leading rebounder with 6.8 boards per game while also tallying 7.3 points per appearance on a gaudy 59.1 percent mark from the field.
 
The Lady Railsplitters outlasted Carson-Newman for a 90-85 overtime victory in last season's meeting at Tex Turner Arena. Harding led the way for Lincoln Memorial, who finished shooting 50.7 percent for the game, with 20 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks, while Shea Coker (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Rawls contributed 12 points apiece. Burstrom had 13 points for the Eagles before fouling out after 34 minutes of action.
 
Last season's meeting in Jefferson City was much more one-sided, though, as Carson-Newman cruised to a 79-57 win behind 16 points from Peterson, 14 points from Brooks and 12 points from Burstrom. The Eagles locked down the Lady Railsplitters defensively, holding Lincoln Memorial to 37 percent shooting with a 4-for-15 effort from long range. Lakeisha Beasley (College Park, Ga.) led the Lady Railsplitters in that contest with a career-high 13 points, while Pittman had 10 points on 4-for-8 shooting.
 
Seven of the last nine meetings between Lincoln Memorial and Carson-Newman have been decided by single digits, and three of those nine have required overtime.
 
The Lady Railsplitters claim a distinct advantage against the Eagles on the backboards, as Lincoln Memorial once again leads the South Atlantic Conference in rebounding margin at plus 15.7. Carson-Newman is ranked sixth in the league in that category at plus 0.8. The Eagles are grabbing just over 10 offensive rebounds per game, while the Lady Railsplitters are ranked third in the SAC with 18.3 offensive boards per appearance.
 
Ball security must be a priority for the Lady Railsplitters, though, as they rank last in the league with 27 turnovers per game. Lincoln Memorial has improved in that department since turning the ball over 36 times in the season opener against Lander, making 24 turnovers vs. USC Aiken and 21 at Lees-McRae.
 
Tip-off between the Lady Railsplitters and Eagles is set for 6 p.m. at Tex Turner Arena. Live stat, audio and video links can be accessed at www.LMURailsplitters.com, while fans can also listen along with Voice of the Railsplitters Rusty Peace at WLMU 91.3 The Gap.

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