WINGATE, N.C. -- The surging Lady Railsplitters (13-7, 10-5 SAC) will try to match last season's South Atlantic Conference win total on Saturday afternoon when they pay a visit to the stumbling Wingate Bulldogs (10-8, 7-7 SAC) for a 2 p.m. tip-off at Cuddy Arena in Wingate, N.C.
 
Lincoln Memorial won for the fifth time in the last six games on Wednesday night, breezing by the Brevard Tornados 81-44 at Tex Turner Arena. Despite shooting 39 percent from the field, the Lady Railsplitters grabbed 22 offensive rebounds to account for 26 second-chance points, an effort that helped spark LMU to its most points in a game that ended in regulation this season. Shea Coker (Knoxville, Tenn.) hit double figures for the fifth time in six games with a season-high 17 points, which fell one point short of matching her career high. Megan Pittman (Liberty, Ky.) posted her ninth double-double of the season with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
 
The Lady Railsplitters have held back-to-back opponents below 30 percent shooting. Brevard finished 16-for-56 from the field for a 28.6 percent clip, while Lenoir-Rhyne, who LMU defeated 65-49 last Saturday, went 15-for-62 for a dismal 24.2 percent mark. Lincoln Memorial is ranked second in the SAC in field-goal percentage defense by holding opponents to 37.3 percent shooting. That defense has been at another level entirely in the Lady Railsplitters' last five wins, as those five opponents shot a combined 31.6 percent.
 
With their solid play of late, the Lady Railsplitters currently claim sole possession of third place in the SAC standings. They trail second-place Newberry by one game, while first-place Anderson is a full three games ahead. Lincoln Memorial is looking to match last season's SAC win total, as the Lady Railsplitters finished 11-11 in league play last season and didn't win their 11th SAC game until February 23. 
 
Wingate was 6-2 in SAC play after notching a win over Carson-Newman in early January, but the Bulldogs have since dropped five of their last six games including three straight to slip into eighth place in the league standings. All of those losses have been a series of close calls, though, as Wingate fell 73-69 at Catawba, 89-87 at league-leading Anderson, 66-63 to Lenoir-Rhyne, 82-73 in overtime at Tusculum and most recently 62-61 at Newberry. The loss to the Wolves might been the most painful one yet, as the Bulldogs led by 17 points early in the second quarter before Newberry rallied for the one-point triumph.
 
Defense has been at the root of the Bulldogs' recent woes. Wingate has surrendered at least 46 percent shooting in four of the last five games, including a 51.1 percent clip against Lenoir-Rhyne, a team that is ranked second-to-last in the league in field-goal percentage. The Bulldogs had not allowed 46 percent shooting in any of the first 13 games of the season.
 
Danasia Witherspoon leads the Bulldogs with 10.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game on 56.2 percent shooting, while Shelby Tricoli, who has not played in Wingate's last two games, is putting up 10.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game on 41.3 percent shooting. Morgan McGee and Kristina Rumplasch are contributing 9.2 and 9.1 points per game, respectively. McGee couples that with 5.1 rebounds per game. Courtney Robinson is also a factor, as she is putting up 8.2 points per game on a 44.4 percent mark from three.
 
The Bulldogs handled the Lady Railsplitters 78-67 earlier this season at Tex Turner Arena. Lincoln Memorial fell behind 16-6 after one quarter and trailed by as many as 21 points in the third before trimming a bit off of the deficit late. In uncharacteristic fashion, the Lady Railsplitters were dominated on the glass 44-31. The Bulldogs grabbed 20 offensive rebounds to give themselves 19 more shot attempts than the Lady Railsplitters. Pittman had 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Britney Guy (Locust Grove, Ga.) notched 11 points. Five players hit double figures for Wingate, led by Rumplasch's 18 points off the bench.
 
The Lady Railsplitters are 7-13 all-time against Wingate with a 2-8 mark at Cuddy Arena. Lincoln Memorial last won in Wingate in February, 2014, when they captured a 59-56 victory. Josey Harding (Middletown, Ohio) had 11 points and five rebounds in that contest.
 
Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. in Wingate, N.C. Live stat, video and audio links are available at www.LMURailsplitters.com, the comprehensive online home of Lincoln Memorial University athletics. The game can also be watched live on ESPN3 as a part of Wingate's scheduling agreement with the Worldwide Leader in Sports.
 
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