WINGATE, N.C. -- Jalen Steele (Knoxville, Tenn.), Gerel Simmons (Accokeek, Md.) and Luquon Choice (Laurens, S.C.) matched Wingate's point total to lead the fifth-ranked Railsplitters (20-2, 16-0 SAC) to a 107-74 win over the Bulldogs in South Atlantic Conference men's hoops action on Saturday at Cuddy Arena.
 
Lincoln Memorial's three-headed monster combined for 74 points to fuel the Railsplitters' ninth 100-point performance of the season. Steele led that trio with 32 points, as the Knoxville, Tenn. native finished 11-for-19 from the field and one three-pointer shy of tying his and Choice's single-game record for threes with a 9-for-12 mark from deep. Simmons fell just short of a triple-double with 24 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and three steals, while Choice went 5-for-8 from three-point range to score 18 points, which he coupled with seven rebounds and three assists.
 
The win gives the Railsplitters their seventh consecutive 20-win season - a feat that had happened only one other time in the program's more than 100-year history - and extends the best SAC start in league history to 16-0.
 
Emmanuel Terry (Enterprise, Ala.) added nine points and nine rebounds, while Curtis McMillion (Fayetteville, N.C.) chipped in seven points and three rebounds in 14 minutes off the bench.
 
The Railsplitters finished shooting 52.8 percent (38-for-72) from the field and matched a season-high mark by burying 18 three-pointers on just 29 attempts for a 62.1 percent clip. Lincoln Memorial did that while limiting Wingate to 37.1 percent shooting (23-for-62) from the field and a 9-for-22 effort (40.9 percent) from three-point range. The Bulldogs - who were listed in the receiving votes section of the most recent NABC/Division II poll - entered Saturday's contest allowing an average of just 71.9 points per game on 41.7 percent shooting.
 
The first eight minutes of the opening half were tightly contested, but the Railsplitters assumed control over the final 12 minutes of the first half and never looked back.
 
Zeriq Lolar hit a three-pointer with 12:32 left in the first half to cut Lincoln Memorial's lead to 18-16, but Steele hit back-to-back three-pointers to spark an 11-0 run. A triple by Curtis Webb (Spartanburg, S.C.) concluded that spurt and put the Railsplitters ahead 29-16 at the 9:03 mark.
 
A three from Mike Baez stopped the bleeding, but a basket by McMillion extended the Railsplitters' advantage to 35-19 with a little over seven minutes left in the half. Wingate would close the gap to 13 points before Simmons finished off a 16-6 flurry with a three-pointer at the 2:29 mark that gave the Railsplitters their largest lead of the game at 51-28.
 
Lincoln Memorial would carry a 52-32 lead into the break.
 
The Railsplitters never led by less than 17 points in the second half, while an 18-3 run that consumed a four and a half minute stretch drove Lincoln Memorial's lead to 92-55 with seven minutes still left in regulation. LMU was 7-for-8 from the field over that span and was led by eight points from Simmons.
 
The lead hit 40 points at 98-58 on Steele's ninth three-pointer of the game at the 5:28 mark. The Bulldogs would get it down to 101-70 with two minutes left before the final deficit settled at 107-74.
 
The Railsplitters completely dominated the backboards 46-27 and grabbed 14 offensive rebounds that led to 16 second-chance points. Lincoln Memorial also assisted on 20 of its 38 field goals, while Wingate finished with just 12 assists on 23 baskets.
 
Lincoln Memorial is the first top-20 ranked team to win at Cuddy Arena this season, as Mount Olive, UNC Pembroke and Queens all lost in Wingate while ranked inside of the top 20 earlier this season.
 
Baez led the Bulldogs with 17 points on 4-of-7 shooting from deep to go along with six rebounds and two assists. Lolar posted 14 points on 4-for-7 shooting, while Isiah Cureton contributed 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three blocks. Xavier Griffin also checked into double figures with 10 points.
 
Quick Hits
The Railsplitters move to 17-9 all-time against Wingate with their seventh straight win over the Bulldogs. Saturday's win was the second-highest margin of victory for either team in the series behind LMU's 103-57 win earlier this season...Wingate has only given up 100 points twice this season and the Railsplitters are responsible for both of those occurrences...If there was anything to pick apart from the Railsplitters' performance, it was a 13-for-22 showing at the free-throw line (59.1 percent)...Lincoln Memorial led for 88.4 percent of the game and never trailed after Terry's jumper tied it up at 5-5 with 16:27 left in the first half
 
Up Next
The Railsplitters travel to Greeneville, Tenn. on Wednesday, February 10 to face the Tusculum Pioneers. Lincoln Memorial defeated Tusculum 82-77 in the first meeting this season back on January 21 at Tex Turner Arena. The Pioneers lost by nine points at Lenoir-Rhyne on Saturday.