HARROGATE, Tenn. – The 23rd-ranked Railsplitters (6-2, 2-1 SAC) used a 15-0 first-half run to seize control and never looked back in a 115-74 beatdown of the Coker Cobras (4-3, 1-1 SAC) in South Atlantic Conference men's basketball action on Saturday evening at Tex Turner Arena.
 
Lincoln Memorial made a number of early turnovers against Coker's press and allowed the Cobras to hang around through the first 10 minutes, but the Railsplitters settled in after that shaky start and blew things open by outscoring the visitors from Hartsville, S.C. 92-53 over the final 30 minutes. 
 
"We did a really good job in spurts when we handled the pressure," LMU head coach Josh Schertz said. "Once we started taking care of the ball a little better and guys got acclimated to the physicality, we were able to take advantage of numbers. The key to the game in our mind was to play with poise. I thought for the most part we did a really good job of having poise and executing."
 
After getting past the press, the Railsplitters got whatever they wanted offensively. Lincoln Memorial shot 62 percent from the field, converting 49 of its 79 shots, which are the fourth-most made shots in a game in program history. That included a gaudy 25-for-36 effort in the Railsplitters' 60-point first half, good for a 69.4 percent clip.
 
Seven players scored double-figures for the Railsplitters. Emanuel Terry (Enterprise, Ala.) led that group with 19 points on 9-for-13 shooting to go along with eight rebounds and two blocks. Cornelius Taylor (Claxton, Ga.) had 15 points, three rebounds and three assists, while Paul Woodson (Cincinnati, Ohio) contributed 14 points in 15 minutes off the bench on a perfect 7-for-7 effort from the floor.
 
Dorian Pinson (Greenville, S.C.), Trevon Shaw (St. Helena Island, S.C.) and Chris Perry (Bartow, Fla.) added 13 points apiece. Perry also chipped in nine rebounds and two blocks. Deshawn Patterson (Lenoir, N.C.) posted 11 points and a career-high seven assists. Luquon Choice (Laurens, S.C.) was limited to eight points, but had 10 rebounds, two assists and two steals.
 
The Railsplitters absolutely dominated the interior against the undersized Cobras, outrebounding Coker 60-33 while posting a massive 78-28 advantage on points in the paint.
 
"We knew we had a size advantage," Schertz said. "We were able to attack with numbers and obviously having guys like Emanuel Terry and Chris Perry behind the press give you a chance to have guys on the back end of the press that can finish. That was huge. And in general, in the halfcourt we really made a concerted effort to try to throw it in."
 
The Railsplitters had seven turnovers in the first seven and a half minutes, which helped Coker keep it close in the early going. A three-point play by Jake Barrett with 9:47 left in the half cut Lincoln Memorial's lead to 23-21. However, the Railsplitters settled into a groove after that and ripped off a 15-0 run to pull ahead 38-21 by the 6:55 mark.
 
The Cobras broke that 15-0 flurry with a jumper from Ladarius Williams, but Lincoln Memorial followed that up with an 11-3 spurt, which extended the lead to 49-26 on a free throw by Terry with 4:52 to go. The Cobras rallied a bit late, but the Railsplitters were still able to carry a commanding 60-42 lead into the break.
 
Perry finished off a dunk eight seconds into the second half to set the stage for what would be another dominant half. The Railsplitters never led by less than 19 points over the final 20 minutes, while a 21-7 flurry extended Lincoln Memorial's lead to 97-62 with a little over nine minutes left. Four minutes later, a Woodson layup increased LMU"s lead to 106-65, which is where the final margin would settle in the 115-74 win.
 
Lincoln Memorial allowed Coker to shoot just 31 percent as the Cobras went 26-for-84 from the field, including a 9-for-30 effort from three-point range.
 
JaQuez Motley led the Cobras with 15 points on 5-for-14 shooting, while Jake Barrett had 14 points on a 6-for-16 effort. Miguel Priest pitched in 12 points and a team-high seven rebounds, while Nathan Lemke notched 11 points and five boards.
 
The Railsplitters have now won three straight games and all three of those games have been decided by at least 41 points. Following the successive losses to Alabama-Huntsville and Carson-Newman, Coach Schertz likes the way his team has responded and what he's seen over the last week and a half.  
 
"I feel like we are heading in the right direction. Our practices have been a little bit better and our focus has been a little bit better. Energy and defense has been better and our rebounding numbers are looking more like they need to for us to be a good team. The key for us is going to continue to build good habits. This group is going to be about growth. We're much better than we were in November and hopefully we'll be a lot better in January."
 
Next Up
The Railsplitters make a quick turnaround to host the one-win Brevard Tornados at 8 p.m. on Monday night inside of Tex Turner Arena in South Atlantic Conference action.
 
Quick Hits
-The 115 points were the most for the Railsplitters since they scored 120 in a 36-point win at Mars Hill in January 2016.
-Lincoln Memorial's bench outscored Coker's second unit 47-22, led by 14 points from Woodson, 13 from Shaw and 11 from Patterson.
-LMU improved to 7-0 all-time against Coker with Saturday's win.