WINGATE, N.C. – The No. 1 Railsplitters (22-1, 16-0 SAC) will attempt to push their overall winning streak to 12 games and extend their record South Atlantic Conference winning streak to 31 on Saturday when they invade Curry Arena to face the Wingate Bulldogs (12-11, 9-6 SAC) at 4 p.m.
 
Wingate will have quite a bit of history working against them when the Railsplitters come calling. Lincoln Memorial hasn't lost a SAC game since January 2017 and clinched the league record for most consecutive conference wins on Wednesday with an 88-58 victory at Anderson. That win also extended the Railsplitters' nation-leading road winning streak to 19 games, as their last road loss occurred in January 2017 as well.
 
On top of all that, the Bulldogs haven't beaten Lincoln Memorial since March 2013, as the Railsplitters have reeled off 11 consecutive wins in the series. LMU has also won seven straight road games in Cuddy Arena, with the last loss coming in January 2010.
 
It's been some time since the Railsplitters had to rely on their defense, but that was the case in Wednesday's win at Anderson. Offense had come easy in the six games that preceded that matchup for the Railsplitters, who scored at least 90 points in those six games.
 
It was a grind offensively against the Trojans, though, as Lincoln Memorial shot a paltry 36 percent in the first half and led just 35-27 at the break. However, the Railsplitters started the second half with a 10-0 run that was a part of a larger 27-5 run that blew things wide open.
 
The Railsplitters held Anderson to 32 percent shooting, including a miserable 2-for-15 mark from three. The Trojans were even worse in the second half, shooting 28 percent and going 1-for-11 from three.
 
Trevon Shaw scored a team-leading 16 points and went 5-of-10 from three-point range to push his nation-leading season total to 102 and become the third player in program history with over 100 in a season. Dorian Pinson tallied his eighth double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 boards, while Alex Dahling contributed 14 points in 15 minutes off the bench. Cornelius Taylor scored 11 of his 13 points in the first half and added four rebounds, four assists and three steals.
 
Lincoln Memorial will try to inch ever closer to their second perfect South Atlantic Conference finish in three seasons – and the second unbeaten mark in SAC history – when they tangle with the fourth-place Bulldogs.
 
The Railsplitters cap off a brutal homestand for Wingate, who hosted No. 2 nationally ranked Queens on Wednesday night and suffered an 88-71 loss. The Bulldogs never led by more than one point in that contest, allowed 56 percent shooting and 13 three-pointers and trailed by as many as 25 points in the loss.
 
Prior to that loss to the Royals, Wingate had won four of its last five games, including narrow victories over Tusculum (81-75) and Catawba (84-80) as well as blowouts of Coker (90-77) and Mars Hill (77-60).
 
The Bulldogs are a middling offensive team that plays at one of the slowest paces in the SAC, averaging a league-low 71.8 points per game on the second-fewest shot attempts per game in the conference (59.3). Wingate is also shooting just 42.7 percent from the field and 36.6 percent from three.
 
When Wingate wins, it wins with defense, as the Bulldogs are the third-best scoring defense in the SAC by allowing only 73 points per game. However, opponents are shooting pretty well against the Bulldogs with a 46 percent clip. The Bulldogs are tough at the rim with 4.3 blocks per game and 99 total blocks, which are the 31st-most in the nation.
 
Senior guard Zeriq Lolar leads the Bulldogs with 14.9 points per game on 40 percent shooting from deep. Junior guard Marco Haskins is chipping in 14.1 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while shooting 41 percent from three, while Kerigan Farley is adding 12 points and 5.8 assists per game. Neico Robinson (9.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg) and Devarious Christian (7.1 ppg, 7.9 rpg) lead the Bulldogs in the frontcourt.
 
In the first meeting this season back on December 13 at Tex Turner Arena, the Railsplitters built a commanding 42-23 lead at the break, shot 57 percent and limited the Bulldogs to 35 percent shooting in an 88-65 win. Taylor led LMU with 18 points while Shaw added 17. Pinson finished just shy of a triple-double with 14 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists, and Emanuel Terry had 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting.
 
Farley led the Bulldogs with 15 points and six rebounds. Haskins had 12 points on 4-of-12 shooting, while Kendrick Turner provided 11 points in 15 minutes off the bench.
 
Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. Live stats and audio links are available at www.lmurailsplitters.com. The game will also be available to stream on the WatchESPN app or on ESPN3.
 
Quick Hits
 
- The Bulldogs are 6-3 at home compared to 5-7 on the road this season. Wingate is averaging three points more per game at home and shooting seven percent better from three-point territory.
 
- Wingate is a solid offensive rebounding team, ranking third in the conference with 12.3 per game. Lincoln Memorial is the best defensive rebounding team in the nation, though, accounting for the most defensive rebounds per game in the country with 33.5.
 
- The Railsplitters continue to lead the nation in field-goal percentage offense and defense. Lincoln Memorial is shooting an absurd 55.2 percent from the field and allowing just 36.3 percent shooting.