HARROGATE, Tenn. – Senior Dorian Pinson will try to become the ninth player in program history to score 1,000 career points and grab 700 career rebounds on Saturday when the No. 6 Railsplitters (13-1, 7-0 SAC) play hosts to the upstart Coker Cobras (7-7, 4-2 SAC). Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. inside of Tex Turner Arena, where Lincoln Memorial is 37-1 since the start of the 2015-16 season.
 
Pinson, who nearly produced his second career triple-double and the second triple-double in program history in Wednesday's win over Anderson with 13 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists, is already a member of the 700-rebound club. The Greenville, S.C. native now needs just three points to become the 28th member of the 1,000-point club. Upon reaching that threshold, Pinson would be the first LMU player to amass 1,000 points and 700 rebounds since former All-American Vincent Bailey did so in 2014.
 
While Pinson put forth another remarkable game in the Railsplitters' wire-to-wire 87-54 win over Anderson, the night belonged to sophomore Cornelius Taylor, who shattered his previous career high with 31 points on 11-of-16 shooting, including a 7-for-11 effort from three. Taylor had more points (24) and field goals (9) in the first half than Anderson's entire team (21 points, 7 FGs). Emanuel Terry also produced a monster performance with 19 points, eight rebounds and a pair of blocks.
 
That game marked the exact midway point of the regular-season schedule, as the Railsplitters improved to 13-1 with arguably their most complete game since the record-breaking 156-69 win over Mars Hill on December 11. Through the first 14 games, Lincoln Memorial is the only South Atlantic Conference team with seven wins and is one of only two unbeaten teams left in the league. The Railsplitters lead the conference in points per game, field-goal percentage, three-point percentage, total rebounds per game, rebounding margin, assists per game and opponent field-goal percentage.
 
Lincoln Memorial is now set to begin one of the tougher portions of the schedule, facing a Coker team that is playing well on Saturday before beginning a three-game road trip to challenge No. 2 Queens, Carson-Newman and Catawba.  
 
The Cobras started slowly with losses in four of their first six games but currently sit in a tie for third place in the SAC standings at 4-2. Since suffering setbacks at Limestone and Carson-Newman, Coker has won three of its last four games, including an 89-84 win over Newberry on Wednesday. The Cobras also played the undefeated and No. 2 ranked Queens Royals tough, building an eight-point lead midway through the second half before eventually succumbing 82-75.
 
The Cobras boast a high-powered offense that is scoring nearly 90 points per game in SAC play. Coker plays at the second-fastest pace in the league with nearly 70 shot attempts per game, and is shooting 45 percent from the field. Coker also shoots a league-leading 24.6 free throws per game and forces a SAC-high 10.6 steals per night.
 
Coker's up-tempo style has its downsides, though, as the Cobras are allowing nearly 85 points per game on 47 percent shooting, both among the worst in the SAC. Coker is also turning the ball over almost 16 times per contest. In addition to that, they aren't much of a threat from three-point range, making only 7.6 three-pointers per game on a 32.6 percent clip.
 
Seniors Donte Samuels and Jake Barrett lead the way for the Cobras. Samuels is putting up 16.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 46 percent from the field, while Barrett is contributing 14.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. Both Samuels and Barrett pace the Cobras with 1.7 steals per night.
 
That duo is backed by standout freshman guard Khalil Halls, who is pitching in 13.2 points per game while leading the team with 35 three-pointers. Sophomore Demarco Jackson has also been solid with 9.0 points and 4.2 rebounds per game while shooting 51 percent from the floor.
 
Since joining the SAC prior to the 2013-14 season, Coker has never beaten Lincoln Memorial, as the Railsplitters have strung together eight straight wins. The Railsplitters have absolutely and utterly dominated the last three matchups, winning by 37, 41 and 49, respectively. The slimmest margin of victory in the series was a 62-58 win for the Railsplitters in January 2015.
 
Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. on Saturday inside of Tex Turner Arena. Live stats and video links are available at www.lmurailsplitters.com, while fans can also listen along with Voice of the Railsplitters Rusty Peace at WLMU 91.3 The Gap.
 
Quick Hits
 
- Coker has been much worse on the road than at home, sporting a 1-4 record outside of Hartsville, S.C. The Cobras average nearly nine points less per game on the road. Coker was 0-4 on the road until grinding out a 100-97 win at Tusculum on December 13.
 
- Coker has already almost matched its win total from the 2016-17 season, when the Cobras finished 10th in the SAC with an 8-20 overall record.
 
- In last season's 115-74 win over Coker at Tex Turner Arena, seven players reached double figures for the Railsplitters, led by Terry's 19 points and eight rebounds. Taylor added 15 points, while Pinson and Trevon Shaw had 13 apiece.