HARROGATE, Tenn. -- The fifth-ranked Railsplitters (21-1, 15-1 SAC) take the nation's longest road winning streak into Greeneville, Tenn. on Wednesday night, paying a visit to cross-state rival Tusculum (4-17, 4-12 SAC) for a South Atlantic Conference clash. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. inside of Pioneer Arena.
 
It's been more than a year since Lincoln Memorial last dropped a true road game, falling at Carson-Newman 77-79 on February 5, 2014. Over that time, the Railsplitters have reeled off 10 consecutive road wins, which is tied with Ferris State for the longest such streak in the NCAA Division II. It's been more than six years since Tusculum has beaten the Railsplitters, who have won the last 14 head-to-head encounters since February 4, 2009, when they suffered a 71-74 setback in Greeneville.
 
The Railsplitters pushed that road winning streak into double figures and rebounded from their first loss of the season with a dominant defensive performance in an 80-68 win at Newberry on Saturday afternoon. The nation's No. 1 field-goal percentage defense trumped the Wolves' third-ranked scoring offense, limiting the host to a season-low 68 points on 32.8 percent shooting. Lincoln Memorial kept the Wolves out of their comfort zone all afternoon, forcing Newberry into a dismal 5-for-33 effort from three-point range (15.2 percent). Free throws and turnovers made the difference in an otherwise commanding display as Newberry accounted for 13 more points at the charity stripe (19-6) and scored 14 points off of LMU's season-high 19 turnovers.
 
Amid Lincoln Memorial's bounce back victory, it was a welcome sight to see the Railsplitters' top scoring trio of Luquon Choice (Laurens, S.C.), Lorenza Ross (Savannah, Ga.) and Gerel Simmons (Accokeek, Md.) shake off mini shooting slumps. That group was a combined 18-for-66 in the two games leading up to Saturday's contest, but finished 20-for-36 collectively against the Wolves. Choice - who posted a career-high 34 points at Newberry last season - poured in 26 points with six rebounds and three assists, Ross finished two rebounds and an assist shy of a triple-double with 11 points, nine assists and eight boards, and Simmons buried five three-points to accumulate 19 points.
 
In the 167th meeting all-time in the storied history of the LMU/Tusculum rivalry, the Railsplitters will greet a Pioneer squad that has had to swallow three consecutive tough road losses. This current stretch comes in the wake of a season-long three game winning streak that included a one-point win over Carson-Newman.
 
Saturday's loss at Catawba was likely the most difficult to handle for a Tusculum team that has battled through an unending flow of adversity. The Pioneers trailed by nine points with 4:27 left in regulation, but a 13-6 spurt cut Tusculum's deficit to 74-72 with a little over a minute to play. Cory Fagan buried two free throws with 44 seconds left to make it a one-point game, and the Pioneers forced a turnover on the ensuing possession. Tusculum manufactured two attempts to win the game, but Matt Shown's jumper missed the mark and Javon Price's put-back layup was blocked as time expired.
 
The Pioneers are led by arguably the most productive post player in the South Atlantic Conference in Chase Mounce. The 6-10 sophomore is ranked fourth in the league in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 17 points and 8.3 rebounds per game on 53.3 percent shooting, the 10th best mark in the SAC this season. Mounce leads the SAC with eight double-doubles and has recorded a double-double in each of his last four games.
 
Tusculum surrounds Mounce with three guards putting in at least 10 points per game, but none are shooting better than 40 percent from the field. Javon Price is pitching in 15.3 points per game on a 39.7 percent mark, while Cory Fagan and Zach Davis are contributing right at 10 points per appearance. Junior Matt Shown is formidable presence in the post alongside Mounce, as he's accounting for 7.7 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.
 
In the first meeting this season, the Railsplitters used a 17-2 run midway through the second half to pull away from the Pioneers in a 78-61 victory at Tex Turner Arena on January 14. Lincoln Memorial limited the visitors to a 31.9 percent mark from the field and a 3-for-21 effort from the three, but it was one of only three games this season in which the Railsplitters have been outrebounded (46-45). Ross paced the Railsplitters with 16 points, while Keenan Peterson (College Park, Ga.) recorded 10 points and 12 rebounds. Mounce and Shown accounted for 29 of the Pioneers' 61 points in that contest. Mounce went for 18 points on 7-of-18 shooting and Shown posted 11 points and 12 boards.
 
The Railsplitters blistered the Pioneers 97-68 in last season's meeting in Greeneville, scoring the most points by either team in the series since the 1998-99 campaign. Ross and Choice scored 12 points apiece in that game, while Curtis Webb (Spartanburg, S.C.) pitched in eight points and eight rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench.
 
Lincoln Memorial and Tusculum tip off at 8 p.m. on Wednesday. Live stats will be available through www.LMURailsplitters.com, while fans can listen along live from Greeneville with Voice of the Railsplitters Rusty Peace at WLMU 91.3 the Gap. 

Video
Live Stats
Audio