HARROGATE, Tenn. – The 16th-ranked Railsplitters (18-4, 13-3 SAC) aim for their 20th straight win over Tusculum on Wednesday night when they welcome the rival Pioneers (10-12, 7-9 SAC) to Tex Turner Arena for an 8 p.m. tip. Lincoln Memorial enters that contest riding a South Atlantic Conference-leading eight-game winning streak, while the Pioneers try to remain in position to qualify for the SAC Tournament and win their third straight game.
 
The Railsplitters haven't lost to Tusculum this decade, reeling off 19 straight wins since their last loss in the series on February 4, 2009. That is the second-longest winning streak for either team in the series that dates back to 1930, as Lincoln Memorial ripped off 22 straight wins from 1981-95. The Railsplitters own a 129-42 lead against Tusculum all-time.
 
Lincoln Memorial and Tusculum met for the first time this season less than a month ago, as the Railsplitters cruised to a 90-68 win in Greeneville on January 18. LMU dominated the opening half and led 50-28 at the break before playing to an even draw in the second half to settle for a 22-point victory. All five starters scored double figures for the Railsplitters. Cornelius Taylor (Claxton, Ga.) led the way with a then career-high 18 points, Hunter Spaw (Bean Station, Tenn.) contributed 17 points off the bench, and Chris Perry (Bartow, Fla.) and Dorian Pinson (Greenville, S.C.) had 15 apiece. Pinson finished just two rebounds shy of a triple-double.
 
The Railsplitters have been rolling since that win. On Saturday, Lincoln Memorial snapped Wingate's 11-game winning streak and retained sole possession of second place in the SAC standings with a 97-87 win at Tex Turner. In a back-and-forth contest, senior Luquon Choice (Laurens, S.C.) was the star of the show, scoring 31 of his season-high 36 points in the second half to carry the Railsplitters to victory. With the game tied late in regulation, he scored 13 consecutive points to put LMU ahead by seven with a minute left.
 
It was a virtuoso performance by Choice, who has already cemented his legacy as one of the best players in program history, and arguably the best two-way player to ever wear an LMU uniform. With six games left in the final regular season of Choice's career, he is ranked first in career three-pointers with 378 and minutes played with 3,666, second in career three-point percentage with a 45.1 percent mark and fifth in career points with 1,789. He needs just over 200 points to become the fourth member of the 2,000-point club and the first to join that illustrious group since Nick Sanford (1986-90). He earned the sixth AstroTurf SAC Player of the Week plaudit of his career on Monday.
 
That win over Wingate kept the Railsplitters two games back of Queens in the race for the SAC regular-season title. Lincoln Memorial might get a little help on Wednesday in its quest to win an unprecedented fifth straight SAC championship, as Queens travels to Wingate. The Bulldogs are responsible for the Royals' lone loss of the season back on January 18 in Charlotte
 
The Railsplitters will try to extend their season-long winning streak to nine games against a Tusculum team that is playing better of late. After losing six of their first seven games in January, including a head-scratching loss at Bluefield State, the Pioneers have won three of their last four. Tusculum pulled out a 72-68 win over Anderson and followed that up with a 70-65 win over Lenoir-Rhyne on Saturday to muster its first winning streak since late November.
 
The Pioneers need all the wins they can get as they are currently on the outside looking in for the SAC Tournament at 7-9 and in ninth place. Newberry, Anderson and Lenoir-Rhyne are all just a game ahead in the standings at 8-8 in league play. The top eight teams qualify for the SAC Championship.
 
Tusculum is a decent offense team that averages 81.2 points per game on 45.5 percent shooting and a 38.1 percent mark from three-point range. The Pioneers attempt nearly 25 three-pointers per game and hit right around 10 per night.
 
The Pioneers have struggled to stop anybody on the other end of the floor, though, as they are allowing 82.8 points per game on 45.2 percent shooting and a league-worst 38.1 percent clip from three-point range.
 
Five players are averaging at least nine points per game for the Pioneers. Senior guard Kendall Patterson leads that group with 15.5 points and 5.5 assists per game on 45.5 percent shooting. Junior Ronnie Baylark is pitching in 13.3 points per appearance while shooting 45.7 percent from three-point range, while senior Cory Fagan is contributing 12.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Senior center Chase Mounce has added 9.0 points and a team-high 5.9 rebounds per game, while Zach Davis (8.9 points, 5.6 rebounds per) is also a major factor.
 
Aside from those five upperclassmen, Tusculum's entire roster is comprised of either sophomores or freshmen, none of which are scoring more than six points per game.
 
Fagan fueled the Tusculum attack in the first meeting against the Railsplitters, scoring a game-high 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting. Patterson went to the free-throw line 16 times and scored 13 points, while Mounce had 10 points.
 
Tip-off between Lincoln Memorial and Tusculum is set for 8 p.m. on Wednesday night at Tex Turner Arena. Live stats, video and audio links are available at www.LMURailsplitters.com.
 
Five things to watch against Tusculum
1. Along with the overall 19-game winning streak, the Railsplitters carry a 13-game home winning streak against Tusculum into Wednesday's clash. Since Lincoln Memorial joined the SAC prior to the 2006-07 campaign, Tusculum hasn't won in Harrogate. The Railsplitters last lost to the Pioneers inside of Tex Turner in December 2005.
 
2. All 18 of LMU's wins this season have been by double figures. In fact, 40 of the Railsplitters' last 42 wins have been decided by at least 10 points. The only two that weren't were the Railsplitters' 103-102 win over West Liberty in the national semifinals and an 82-77 victory over Tusculum in last season's home game against Tusculum.
 
3. Tusculum is ranked seventh in the SAC in total rebounds per game (38.5) and sixth in rebounding margin (plus-0.9). The Railsplitters lead the SAC in both of those categories. In the first meeting, Lincoln Memorial outrebounded the Pioneers 40-31.
 
4. The Pioneers are 8-3 at home this season, but just 2-9 on the road. Tusculum's last road win came at Mars Hill 101-92 on January 11.
 
5. Patterson had scored at least 20 points in two of three games leading into last Saturday's game against Lenoir-Rhyne, but he was limited to a season-low two points on 0-for-7 shooting in that win over the Bears.