HARROGATE, Tenn. – For the fourth time this season, the Lincoln Memorial University men's basketball team dismantled its opponent by over 30 points with a 47-point rout of visiting Johnson University (Tenn.) Tuesday night inside Tex Turner Arena. The Railsplitters improved to 5-1 on the young season, winning their fifth consecutive contest 102-55 by forcing 23 turnovers and scoring 34 points off the Roayls' miscues.
 
In a midweek non-conference affair in which LMU never trailed and led all but the opening 47 scoreless seconds, the Railsplitters claimed 28 fastbreak points and tallied 46 points in the paint while collecting 50 rebounds and nailing 15 treys. For the second-straight outing, LMU held its adversary to under 30 percent shooting as the Blue and Gray limited Johnson University (4-4) to just 28.2 percent (20-of-71) from the floor and 19.4 percent (6-of-31) from long range. The Railsplitters scored 50 points in each half and dominated the better part of the 40 minutes of action.
 
Redshirt junior guard Devin Whitfield had another outstanding game, leading five double-digit LMU scorers by pouring in a season-best 25 points on 9-for-15 shooting and going 4-for-9 on threes. Perhaps most impressively, the 6-ffot-5 guard made a season-high five steals and recorded a pair of blocks. He scored the Railsplitters' first eight points of the game, hitting a pair of outside shots and throwing down an emphatic slam within the opening minutes.
 
A fastbreak jumper in the paint from senior guard Anthony Brown put the home team ahead 10-4 after three and a half minutes of play and from there LMU went on a 32-9 run over the following eight minutes of play. A three-pointer by junior guard Alex Dahling pushed the Railsplitters in front 42-13 with 8:26 to go in the half before a jumper from freshman guard Jeremiah Keene gave LMU its first 30-point lead at 44-14 with 5:58 showing.
 
Taking a 52-27 lead into the break, the Railsplitters shot 52.5 percent (21-of-40) in the first 20 minutes and were 8-for-19 (42.1%) from long range. LMU allowed the Royals to just nine first-half field goals (9-for-34) as the Railsplitters made four powerful dunks and Whitfield scored 20 points on 8-for-11 shooting, including 4-for-6 from beyond the arc.
 
Johnson University came out poised in the second half and held its own, chiseling down the lead to 22 with an Estiven Estacio layup after a little over a minute and a half of play. However, LMU went on a 15-0 run over the next four minutes of play and stretched out its lead to 37 (69-32) on a layup by sophomore guard Courvoisier McCauley.
 
A pair of free throws from redshirt junior forward Shaquille Trombley gave the Railsplitters their first 40-point advantage of the night at 90-50 with just under seven minutes to go. LMU would outscore Johnson University 12-5 over the final 6:42, taking the final 47-point lead on another Dahling trey.
 
All-told, the Railsplitters shot 48.7 percent (38-of-78) for the game, were 36.6 percent (15-of-41) from distance and 91.7 percent (11-of-12) from the free-throw line. LMU assisted on 29 of its 38 made baskets.
 
McCauley scored 14 second-half points on 4-for-7 shooting from three-point land, finishing with 22 total points on 6-for-11 marksmanship from outside. Dahling had another fine outing, posting 16 points and making two steals as Rombley and Keene each scored 10. Anthony Brown dished out a career-high 11 assists and nearly had a double-double with nine rebounds, in addition to making two blocks. Redshirt sophomore guard Cameron Henry anchored the Railsplitter defense, securing nine boards and forcing a trio of turnovers to go along with scoring six points and handing out four assists. Redshirt senior forward Rhondi Hackett was efficient, grabbing eight rebounds, scoring seven points and tallying three assists.
 
The Royals were led by Estacio's 14 points on 6-for-9 shooting and Kaleb Laws and Nick Jones' seven rebounds apiece.
 
Looking Ahead
The Railsplitters begin South Atlantic Conference play this weekend when they travel to Wingate for a 5:30 p.m. tip inside Cuddy Arena. Next week, LMU remains on the road for a pair of SAC games at nearby Carson-Newman a week from today Tuesday, Nov. 26 and at Coker next Saturday, Nov. 30.
 
How to Follow
Stay tuned to LMURailsplitters.com, as well as LMU's social media platforms - @LMURailsplitter on Twitter, @LMURailsplitters on Facebook and @lmurailsplitters on Instagram, for complete coverage of Railsplitter basketball throughout the 2019-20 season.