HARROGATE, Tenn. – The No. 11/12 Lady Railsplitter basketball team closes out the pre-Christmas portion of their schedule when they host Newberry at 2 p.m. Saturday.
LMU is currently 10-0 overall and 5-0 in SAC play coming into Wednesday's game. The 5-0 SAC start is the best conference start by the Lady Railsplitters since they joined the SAC in 2006.

Currently, LMU sits atop the SAC standings with the 5-0 SAC record. Anderson is second with a 4-0 record. Catawba and Carson-Newman are tied for third with 3-1 records.

In their last game, LMU held the lead most of regulation only to see Wingate battle back and take a late lead. A layup by Karsen Sims (Gatlinburg, Tenn.) with 19 seconds left forced overtime. In the first OT Wingate led for most of the period, but LMU stayed within striking distance and eventually tied the game with 27 seconds left. Wingate's Amber Neely hit a basket with 6 seconds left, but LMU drove the length of the floor and Rachel Griffith (Oliver Springs, Tenn.) hit a long running 2-pointer with 0.1 seconds left to force double overtime. The Bulldogs went ahead on a free throw with three minutes left and from that point on the teams traded baskets with Shea Coker (Knoxville, Tenn.) hitting the clutch jumper with 4.7 seconds left to give LMU the 84-83 win.

Sydnie Anderson (Cleveland, Tenn.) led the way with 20 points, followed by Megan Pittman (Liberty, Ky.) with 18 points and 15 rebounds. Emily Griffith (Oliver Springs, Tenn.) chipped in 10 points.

Saturday's game will be video streamed live on the LMU Sports Network and LMU will also be providing live stats. Fans listening on the radio can hear play-by-play with Rusty Peace on the LMU Sports Network at 91.3 WLMU-FM and online at www.913thegap.com.
 
LINCOLN MEMORIAL VS. NEWBERRY
· This is the first meeting between the two schools this season. LMU will make the trip to Newberry on Feb. 11.
· LMU was picked 5th in the pre-season coaches poll and Newberry 3^rd.
· Newberry comes into the game with a 7-2 overall record and a 3-2 record in SAC play. Their losses to date have been back-to-back losses vs. Carson-Newman (66-46) and at Anderson (70-55).
· Newberry won the last meeting between the two schools in the Tex Turner Arena, an 80-71 overtime decision on Feb. 13, 2016.
· After this game, the Lady Railsplitters are off for Christmas. They return to action on Jan. 4 when they host Mars Hill.
 
SCOUTING LMU
· The last time a LMU team won 10 or more straight games? The 1999-2000 season. That year's squad rolled off a 12 game win streak, including a win over nationally-ranked Cal-Poly Pomona.
· Senior All-SAC performer Megan Pittman is leading the team in scoring with 13.8 ppg. She is currently shooting 85.7% from the free throw line, which ranks her sixth in the SAC.  She is second in the SAC in total free throws and third in total rebounds (first in offensive and sixth in defensive), sixth in rebounds per game and steals, seventh in blocks and ninth in points.
· Junior Shea Coker is close behind Pittman with 13.2 points a game. She currently ranks seventh in the SAC in field goals made, fifth in 3-pt. percentage, and tenth in made three pointers and points.
· Senior Josey Harding (Middletown, Ohio) currently leads the team in rebounding with 11.4 rebounds a game. She currently ranks first in the SAC in total rebounds, defensive rebounds and rebounds per game. She is also fourth in offensive rebounds, fifth in total free throws and tenth in blocks. She set a new SAC single-game rebound record with her 27 at Carson-Newman.
· Karsen Sims also is averaging in double figures in scoring with 10.2 points a game. She currently ranks second in the SAC in 3-pt. percentage and fifth in assists and assist to turnover ratio.
· LMU is outshooting their opponents 42.3 percent to 35.9 percent this season.
· The Lady Railsplitters are currently out-rebounding opponents by 8.9 rebounds a game. In the Krystal Evans era, LMU has outrebounded their opponents in 57 of the 68 games played.
· LMU enters the game with a program record of 830-480-1 in 75 seasons of competition.
 
LMU IN THE RANKINGS
· The Lady Railsplitters are ranked 11^th in the latest WBCA/USA Today Top 25 Coaches' Poll. They are tied for the 11^th spot with Bentley.
· The team entered the D2SIDA National Media Poll at the No. 12 position. It is LMU's first appearance in that poll.
· LMU is also ranked first in the Southeast Region in the latest D2SIDA Media Poll, with 2 of the six first place votes.
 
RECORD WATCH
· Megan Pittman has the most career points on the team with 773. Harding has 564, Coker 517, Anderson 272 and Mathis 205.
· Pittman has 630 career rebounds, 8^th all-time. She is 26 rebounds behind seventh-place Robin Adams (1987-90).
· Pittman is now 25^th all-time in made free throws with 186. She is four behind #23 Brandy Brown (1994-98) and Heather Brown (1993-97)
· Harding's 27 rebounds against Carson-Newman On Nov. 22 set a new LMU and SAC record for rebounds in a game. She is also the only player in LMU history, men or women, to have consecutive 20+ rebound games.
· Harding currently has 592 rebounds and ranks 10th in career rebounds. She is 38 behind Pittman and 14 behind 9^th place Bridget Long (1990-94).
· Harding is tied for 18th all-time in made free throws (200). She trails 17^th place Andi Winney (2006-09) by a free throw. She is also now 20^th in free throw attempts with 285.
· Harding is currently in fifth place on the all-time blocks list with 96. She has a tall order to get out of fifth as there is a tie for third with 140 blocks between Tracey Faison (1988-92) and Bridget Long (1990-94).
· Shea Coker and Ross Mathis have moved into the top 20 in made three-pointers. Coker is 19^th with 56 and Mathis is 20^th with 51.
 
LAST TIME VS. NEWBERRY
· Megan Pittman's 15 points and 12 rebounds led LMU in the 80-71 overtime loss on Feb. 13, 2016.
· Britney Guy added in 14 points and Shea Coker chipped in 10.
· Nicola Handreck led NC with 25 points. Meg Essex had 17 and Emily Perry 11.
· LMU outrebounded the Wolves 48-45.
· The teams were evenly matched stat-wise. LMU led by seven late only to see Meg Essex go on a 9-4 run and force overtime. In the overtime, LMU went cold from the field and the Wolves hit 6-of-8 free throws down the stretch to ice the game.
 
SERIES VS. NEWBERRY
· Newberry leads the series 17-7.
· LMU holds a 5-6 record vs. Wingate in the Tex Turner Arena. They are 2-11 in Newberry.
· The teams have met twice in the post-season, with Newberry winning both games.
 
SCOUTING NEWBERRY
· The Wolves return nine letter winners off of last year's team, including three starters
· Meg Essex is the top returning scorer and rebounder from last season.
· Essex is currently leading the team in scoring with 16.0 ppg. She is tied for the lead in rebounding with Jaya Schultz as each have 5.7 rpg.
· Shelby Britten is second on the team in scoring with 13.6 ppg, followed by Nicola Handreck with 10.8 ppg and Samara Hill with 10.1 ppg.
· Head coach Sean Page is in his ninth season with the program. He comes into the game with a 152-91 record at Newberry and a 190-118 overall record.