HARROGATE, Tenn. -- Fueled by the memory of a disappointing loss at Carson-Newman a little over two months ago and a rambunctious crowd of over 3,400, the 24th-ranked Railsplitters (15-4, 10-3 SAC) started fast and never let up in a 108-76 obliteration of the rival Eagles (12-7, 9-4 SAC) on Wednesday night at Tex Turner Arena.
 
In a highly-anticipated contest between two of the hottest teams in the South Atlantic Conference, the Railsplitters built a 27-point lead less than 10 minutes into the game and handed Carson-Newman the most lopsided loss in the series since January 1973. Lincoln Memorial also took a 102-101 lead in the long-running series that dates back to 1923.
 
"I'm really proud of our guys," LMU head coach Josh Schertz said. "That was a great effort. We came out with unbelievable energy and toughness and competed great on the defensive end. In the first half, that was about as good as we've defended all season. That was just an unbelievable team effort on both ends of the floor."
 
The victory pushed Lincoln Memorial's winning streak to five and snapped the Eagles' four-game winning streak. It also avenged a 111-109 overtime loss at Jefferson City from back on November 22.
 
"We felt threatened and I think the times that we've felt threatened we always play our best," Schertz said. "Certainly against Carson-Newman we felt threatened and our guys had a great sense of urgency about them. The energy level and the toughness level for 40 minutes was off the charts. To put together a game like that shows what we're capable of when we're focused and together."
 
Chris Perry (Bartow, Fla.) and Luquon Choice (Laurens, S.C.) combined for 56 points with a game-high 28 points apiece, but Dorian Pinson (Greenville, S.C.) was the story of the game. After falling just short of the mark time and time again, the junior swingman logged the first recorded triple-double in the more than 100-year history of the LMU men's basketball program, notching 10 points, 19 rebounds and 11 assists.
 
"Dorian is the most versatile player in the country in my opinion," Schertz said. "He does everything for us. It's a great accomplishment for him. I know he's been knocking on that door, so it was good to see him kick it down."
 
In addition to the outstanding efforts of Choice, Pinson and Perry, Cornelius Taylor (Claxton, Ga.) went 6-for-7 from three-point range and matched a career-high mark with 18 points. He hit five three-pointers before the game even reached the 12-minute mark to help the Railsplitters storm out of the gate.
 
When it was all said and done, the Railsplitters shot 50.7 percent from the field and went 15-for-22 from three-point range for a sizzling 68.2 percent mark. By contrast, Carson-Newman, the nation's 18th-most efficient offense, shot 40 percent and went a dreadful 5-for-17 from three.
 
Lincoln Memorial was inspired from the start, using back-to-back triples by Taylor to get the crowd rocking and rolling and jump out to an 8-0 lead. Two buckets by Sawyer Williams only delayed the onslaught, as the Railsplitters countered with a 19-0 run to take a 27-4 lead following a vicious dunk from Pinson at the 12:09 mark.
 
Another layup from Williams halted that 19-0 spurt, but Perry scored six unanswered points to extend the Railsplitters lead to 33-6 with 10:57 left in the first half.
 
Williams accounted for all of Carson-Newman's points until Malik Abraham knocked down two free throws at 9:56.
 
The Eagles whittled the lead down to 25 points, but a jumper from Choice and a three-pointer by Hunter Spaw (Bean Station, Tenn.) made it a 30-point lead at 41-11 with 7:29 left in the half. Lincoln Memorial later ended the half on a 9-0 run to carry a 56-21 lead into the break.
 
Perry, Choice and Taylor combined for 45 points in the first half to more than double Carson-Newman's offensive output. The Railsplitters shot a blistering 51.1 percent in the frame, including an 8-for-11 mark from three, while Carson-Newman was limited to a meager 23.5 percent shooting.
 
The second half was a mere formality, but the Railsplitters didn't take their foot off the gas and pushed the lead to as many as 40 points on a bucket by Choice with 15:40 left.
 
Williams powered the Eagles with 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting. Charles Clark - the most recent USBWA National Player of the Week - was limited to just 15 points on 6-of-15 shooting to go along with 10 rebounds. Malik Abraham had 16 points in 28 minutes off the bench, while no other Carson-Newman player had more than seven points.
 
Up Next
The Railsplitters travel to Hickory, N.C. to face the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears in SAC action at 4 p.m. on Saturday. Lenoir-Rhyne will be looking to rebound from a 79-72 loss against Wingate on Wednesday night. Lincoln Memorial has won 14 straight against L-R and defeated the Bears by 41 back on November 30.
 
Quick Hits
-After being outrebounded by three in Jefferson City, the Railsplitters dominated the backboards to the tune of a 49-36 edge. That included 15 offensive rebounds that led to 21 second-chance points. Along with Pinson's 19 boards, Paul Woodson (Cincinnati, Ohio) had seven and Perry had five.
-Wednesday night marked the most lopsided win by either team in the series since Carson-Newman defeated the Railsplitters by 47 in January 1973.
-The Railsplitters' 68.2 percent effort from three was the fourth-highest three-point field-goal percentage in program history. It was the highest since LMU went 16-for-23 from deep against North Greenville in the 2015 NCAA Tournament.