HARROGATE, Tenn. – Lincoln Memorial will celebrate its annual Play 4Kay game as the Lady Railsplitters (14-8, 11-6 SAC) host the Newberry Wolves (12-11, 11-6 SAC) in a battle of second-place teams at 2 p.m. on Saturday afternoon at Tex Turner Arena.
Lincoln Memorial improved to 11-6 in South Atlantic Conference play and won for the seventh time in the last 10 games on Wednesday night, rallying from a 13-point first-half deficit to down the Tusculum Pioneers 70-61. It was far from the Lady Railsplitters' best offensive night, as they shot 37 percent and went 0-for-8 from three-point range, but 20 second-chance points and a 20-for-29 effort at the charity stripe made the difference.
Megan Pittman (Liberty, Ky.) was the only player in double figures for Lincoln Memorial, finishing with 22 points, 16 rebounds and four steals for her 10th double-double of the season.
That win moved the Lady Railsplitters into a three-way tie for second place in the South Atlantic Conference with Mars Hill and Saturday's opponent, Newberry.
Lincoln Memorial was able to climb that high in the standings partially because of Newberry's recent skid, as the Wolves have dropped three of their last four games. Newberry bottomed out offensively in a 64-45 loss to Catawba on Wednesday, shooting 33.9 percent from the field and accounting for just 17 points in the first half. This recent downward trend comes after the Wolves won six of their first seven games in January.
Offensive efficiency has been at the root of the Newbery's recent struggles. The Wolves have failed to shoot better than 40 percent in four of their last seven games, marked most noticeably by a 30.2 percent shooting night in the first meeting with Catawba on January 20. Poor shooting has not been a characteristic of the Newberry attack all season, though, as the Wolves are connecting on 42.1 percent of their shots in SAC play, which is the third-best mark in the league. Newberry leads the SAC in three-point field-goal percentage in conference play with a 38.9 percent mark, but they are 9-for-34 from deep over the last two games.
Newberry is led offensively by Samantha Creed, Meg Essex and Nicola Handreck. Creed is putting up 13.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game on a 42.1 percent mark from three-point range. Creed is ranked fifth in the SAC with 51 made three-pointers. Essex is averaging 13 points and 5.7 rebounds per game while shooting 50 percent from the floor. Handreck is chipping in 11.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per appearance with a 36 percent clip from three-point range.
The Lady Railsplitters have never swept the season series from Newberry, but they have a chance to do just that this season thanks to a 68-56 win in the Palmetto State back on December 19, which snapped an 11-game losing streak on Newberry's home court. Lincoln Memorial shot just under 40 percent in that contest, but held the Wolves to 34.4 percent shooting including a 4-for-19 effort from the three. The Lady Railsplitters also accounted for a 28-0 advantage on second-chance points. Pittman had 22 points and 15 rebounds, while
Kiara Rawls (Killeen, Texas) tallied 11 points. Creed led the Wolves with 16 points on 6-of-17 shooting.
The Lady Railsplitters haven't lost to Newberry at Tex Turner Arena since 2011, winning four straight home games in the series over that span. Lincoln Memorial won last season's home game 86-76 behind an ultra-efficient 50.9 percent mark from the field.
Kortnay Cox (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) had a career night with 24 points and 15 rebounds, while Rawls had 14 points and six assists in 25 minutes off the bench.
Lincoln Memorial will also be hosting its
annual Play 4Kay game, which is aimed at raising awareness and money for women's cancer research and victims via the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. Fans are encouraged to wear pink. Donations towards the Kay Yow Cancer Fund will be accepted throughout the afternoon.
Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. at Tex Turner Arena. Live stats, video and audio links are available at www.LMURailsplitters.com.
Game Day Links Live statsVideoAudio
