HARROGATE, Tenn. – The Railsplitters will host one of the winningest teams in the history of Division II men's basketball on Wednesday when they close out the 2018 portion of their schedule with a nonconference matchup against the Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers. 
 
Lincoln Memorial (7-3) tips off against Kentucky Wesleyan (4-5) at 7 p.m. inside of Tex Turner Arena. Live stats, video and audio links are available at www.lmurailsplitters.com, while fans can also follow along with in-game updates via the official LMU athletics Twitter page, @LMURailsplitter. 
 
Notes on the Panthers
 
- Kentucky Wesleyan is arguably the most storied program in all of Division II men's hoops. The Panthers have won a NCAA Division II record eight national championships and are seventh in all-time wins with 1,595. 
- Most of Kentucky Wesleyan's greatest accomplishments are in the distant past, though. The Panthers' last national title was in 2001, while five of the eight were claimed before 1990, including three in the 60s. 
- The Panthers have struggled early in the 2018-19 season. KWC won its opener over Kentucky State but followed that up with three straight losses, including an 83-57 laugher against No. 1 Bellarmine. Kentucky Wesleyan then righted the ship with wins over Trevecca Nazarene and Tiffin, but enter Wednesday's game having lost two of their last three. 
- The Panthers defeated Malone 75-63 on Saturday in Owensboro, Ky., using a 45-29 halftime cushion to snap a two-game losing streak. Mohamed Abu Arisha led the way with 27 points and 11 rebounds while finishing 10-for-11 from the field. Adam Goetz added 19 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. 
- Kentucky Wesleyan is a below average offensive team, scoring 69 points per game on 44 percent shooting, though they have produced a 37 percent mark from three. 
- A sturdy defense has been key for Kentucky Wesleyan, as the Panthers allow just 69 points per game on 42 percent shooting and a 30 percent clip from three. 
- The Panthers are 3-2 in Great Midwest Athletic Conference play, good for sole possession of sixth place. They finished eighth last season with a 9-11 conference record and 15-16 overall mark. 
- Goetz – a 6-1 junior guard – leads Kentucky Wesleyan with 16.0 points per game and 27 three-pointers. He is also contributing 4.9 rebounds per game and shooting 43 percent from the field. 
- 6-7 Aussie Deng Mayot is pouring in 12.2 points to go along with 6.0 rebounds per game while shooting 58.3 percent from the field. Abu Arisha is also in double figures with 10.3 points and a team-high 7.9 rebounds per game. The 6-7 native of Israel is connecting on 51 percent of his shot attempts. 
- Drew Cooper is in his first season leading the Kentucky Wesleyan men's basketball program. Cooper arrived in Owensboro after a five-year run as the head coach at Thomas More College, where he compiled a 94-46 record. 
- The Panthers average 17.6 assists per game but also turn the ball over nearly 17 times per contest.  
 
Last Time Out 
 
The Railsplitters trailed for a mere 14 seconds and led outright for over 39 minutes in an 81-72 triumph over Wingate on Saturday at Tex Turner Arena. 
 
Lincoln Memorial, which moved to 82-5 at home over the past six seasons and captured its 26th straight regular-season win at Turner Arena, turned in a trademark performance both offensively and defensively, shooting 48 percent while holding the Bulldogs to 37 percent shooting to notch its 14th straight win in the series. 
 
Winners of six of their last seven overall, the Railsplitters were led by a quintet of double-digit point scorers. Cameron Henry had a career-high 15 points with nine rebounds and three assists, while Kamaran Calhoun matched that mark with 15 points. Alex Dahling hit four three-pointers to score 12 points, while Anthony Brown had 12 points and five boards. Cornelius Taylor was plagued by foul trouble and matched a season-low mark with only 10 points. 
 
The Railsplitters are currently in third place in the SAC standings behind undefeated Queens (4-0) and Catawba (3-0).
 
Tip-Ins
 
- Lincoln Memorial has not lost a regular-season home game since December 17, 2016, but it's been even longer since the Railsplitters have suffered a regular-season home loss against a nonconference foe. That last occurred during head coach Josh Schertz's first season leading the Railsplitters in a 76-74 overtime loss to Ohio Valley in December 2008. 
- Calhoun has scored 15 points or more in three straight games and now ranks second on the team in points per game with 11.3. He is doing a lot of his work at the free-throw line, where he is a combined 24-for-33 over that span. 
- After Wednesday, the Railsplitters will have a 12-day break for the holidays before returning to action on January 1 to host North Greenville. 
- Lincoln Memorial has hit 13 or more three-pointers in three of its four appearances at Tex Turner Arena this season. In total, the Railsplitters are 55-for-126 from long range at home, good for a 44 percent mark. 
- The Railsplitters have been one of the better defensive teams in the country, ranking 17th nationally in field-goal percentage defense with a 39 percent clip. LMU is ranked 14th in blocks per game with 5.0. Rhondi Hackett leads the team with 12 blocks total and had five in Saturday's win over Wingate. 
- Despite shooting 48 percent in two of their last four games, the Railsplitters are still hovering in the lower half of the nation in terms of field-goal percentage offense, ranking 216th out of 306 teams with a 43.4 percent mark overall. 
 
Series History 
 
- The Railsplitters earned their first-ever win over Kentucky Wesleyan in the most recent meeting between the two squads at the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic on November 18, 2016, as LMU shot 57 percent in an 88-72 triumph. 
- That was the first meeting between LMU and Kentucky Wesleyan since 1999. 
- The Panthers are 6-1 all-time against the Railsplitters and have won four of the seven head-to-head encounters by double figures. 
- Wednesday represents Kentucky Wesleyan's first-ever trip to Harrogate.