HARROGATE, Tenn. -- The Lincoln Memorial University women's basketball team opens up their 75th season of basketball this weekend as they host the South Atlantic Conference vs. Peach Belt Conference Challenge. 

The Lady Railsplitters welcome fellow SAC member Carson-Newman as well as Peach Belt members Lander and USC Aiken to the Tex Turner Arena for a pair of games Friday evening and a pair of games Saturday afternoon. Carson-Newman takes on USC Aiken at 6 p.m. Friday followed at 8 p.m. by LMU vs. #17/#21 Lander. Saturday's action features C-N vs. Lander at 2:00 pm and LMU vs. USC Aiken at 4:00 p.m. 

All of the games will be video streamed on the LMU Sports Network and live stats will be provided by the LMU Athletic Media Relations office.

LMU enters year three of the Krystal Evans era with both depth and experience on the roster. Ten players return from last season's squad that went 17-12 and advanced to the SAC Basketball Tournament semifinals for the first time. 

First team All-SAC performer Megan Pittman (Liberty, Ky.) leads the way as she was the top scorer (11.9 ppg) and rebounder (10.0 rpg) on last year's squad. Joining her is fellow senior Josey Harding (Middletown, Ohio), who averaged 7.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game last season. Sydnie Anderson (Cleveland, Tenn.) is back for her senior season after a 2015-16 campaign that saw her average 4.7 points and 1.4 rebounds a game.

Junior Shea Coker (Knoxville, Tenn.) returns on the perimeter, where she averaged 6.0 points per game in 2015-16. Karsen Sims (Gatlinburg, Tenn.) will open up the season at the point position while Ross Mathis (Greer, S.C.) will also see a lot of time in the backcourt this season.

With a year of experience under their belts, the sophomore class will be relied upon to carry even more of the load. The doppelgänger duo of Emily (1.8 ppg/0.7 rpg) and Rachel (2.0 ppg/0.7 rpg) Griffith (Oliver Springs, Tenn.) return along with Dasia Maxwell (0.9 ppg/0.8 rpg). Brianna Marsh (Dryden, Mich.) also returns following an injury-shortened freshman campaign.

Coach Evans and her staff have worked hard over the past year and have brought in a solid six-person recruiting class that should make an immediate impact. They brought in some more size in the paint in transfer Gerda Paulauskaite (Telsiai, Lithuania) and freshmen Kaely Gose (Gate City, Va.), Shermeria Quarles (Greenwood, S.C.) and Shayla Barrow (Orlando, Fla.). On the perimeter Sydney Duggins (Oliver Springs, Tenn.) and Kyndall Caudle (Ooltewah, Tenn.) will bring depth.

LMU enters the season with a 820-480-1 all-time record.

LMU IN THE SAC vs. PBC CHALLENGE
This is the third season for the challenge, which was inaugurated in 2014. The same four teams play for four years and one of them takes turns hosting. In 2014-15 at Carson-Newman, LMU bested Lander 76-72 and fell to USC Aiken 77-70. Last season at Lander, LMU lost 58-56 to the host Bearcats and 68-66 to the Pacers. USC Aiken will host the final Challenge in the 2017-18 season.

LAST TIME VS. LANDER
In the 2015-16 season opener at Lander it took a late comeback by the Bearcats and a Bre Crum basket with 1.5 seconds left to give Lander the 58-56 victory. After a slow start the Lady Railsplitters asserted their size in the paint to pull out to a 12 point lead late in the third quarter. Lander then forced LMU into nine turnovers down the stretch to tie the game with eight seconds left. They then forced LMU into their 36th turnover of the contest and went the length of the court to score the game winner. Josey Harding led LMU with 17 points and 10 rebounds while Megan Pittman had 13 points and nine rebounds. Jada Wallace and Bre Crum led the Bearcats with eight points apiece.

SERIES VS. LANDER
Lander leads the all-time series 3-1. LMU's lone win came in the SAC vs. Peach Belt Conference Challenge at Carson-Newman on Nov. 15, 2014 where the Lady Railsplitters opened the Krystal Evans era with the 76-72 win. Megan Pittman had a double-double of 12 points and 14 rebounds in her first appearance in a LMU uniform to lead the Lady Railsplitters in that contest. This will be the first time the two teams meet in Harrogate.

SCOUTING LANDER
· The Bearcats enter the season tied with Anderson for 21st in the WBCA poll and 17th in the Division II Bulletin poll.
· Lander compiled a 25-7 record last season, were the Peach Belt Conference champions and earned their second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament.
· Lander was picked first in the PBC preseason poll. Ty'hesha Reynolds and Breshay Johnson were named to the first team. 
· One could describe this year's squad starting with "re-" but the jury is out whether you mean "reload" or "rebuild". Lander does return seven players from last year, including their top scorer and rebounder in Breshay Johnson (520 pts./251 reb.), but the Bearcats also have eight new players on the roster and how long it takes them to integrate into the team's offense and defense will determine which "re-" to use.
· Along with Johnson, other returners of note are Reynolds (400 pts./120 reb.) and Mylea McKenith (313 pts.).
· Lander head coach Kevin Pederson begins his 12th season at Lander with a 212-123 record at Lander. Prior to Lander he coached at Anderson University for four seasons. He enters the season with a 300-154 career record.

LAST TIME VS. USC AIKEN
After falling to Lander on a late basket the night before, it was déjà vu all over again for the Lady Railsplitters as they fell to the Pacers 68-66 on a Emry Tsitouris buzzer beater. It was a back-and forth game before LMU pulled out to an eight point lead midway through the fourth quarter. The Pacers then methodically chipped away and took a 66-64 lead with 21 seconds remaining. LMU then worked the ball to Kiara Rawls, who tied the game at 66-66 with 16 seconds left. USC Aiken then worked it around before Stephanie Ball caught Tsitouris coming off a screen and got her the ball for the game-winning buzzer-beater. Tsitouris led the Pacers with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Baylea Loven chipped in 14 points. LMU was led by Josey Harding's 22 points and seven rebounds, while Sydnie Anderson added in 13 points.

SERIES VS. USC AIKEN
Aiken leads the series 3-1. LMU's lone win came in the fifth game played in the Tex Turner Arena on Feb. 18, 1991 when Debbie Green's 16 points propelled LMU to the 77-68 win. In that game Ninnie Norwood added in 14 points and Amy Carlyle had 12 points. This will be the second time the teams meet in Harrogate and LMU's 243rd game in the Tex Turner Arena.

SCOUTING USC AIKEN
· The Pacers went 9-19 last season, although 11 of those losses were by single digits or in overtime. Injuries were a major contributor to that as several key players missed significant time or saw their seasons ended.
· USC Aiken was picked to finish tenth in the PBC in the preseason coaches poll.
· One key word for the Pacers is "experience" as they return nine players from last season.
· Five returners scored 100 or more points last season, led by Alexis Ware (7.7 ppg) and Rachelle Aupont (9.3 ppg). Jasmine Coach (4.9 rpg) is the top returning rebounder.
· This is head coach Mark Miller's first year at Aiken. He most recently coached at Holy Family (Pa.) where he compiled a 169-49 record over seven seasons. He has a 223-74 career record.