WINGATE, N.C. – Kicking off a road-heavy closing stretch to the 2018-19 regular season, the Railsplitters will pay the Wingate Bulldogs a visit on Saturday evening for a crucial South Atlantic Conference test. 
 
Behind a season-high 61-point first half, the Railsplitters (15-6, 10-4 SAC) rolled over the Anderson Trojans 95-72 on Wednesday night at Tex Turner Arena to snap a two-game conference losing streak. Lincoln Memorial also moved back into second place in the league thanks to Lenoir-Rhyne's loss at Newberry. 
 
Wingate (13-9, 9-5 SAC), meanwhile, fell to fifth place in the league with an 84-75 setback at Catawba on Wednesday. The Bulldogs trailed by as many as 16 points in the second half, but rallied back to take a brief lead late. However, Catawba outlasted Wingate down the stretch. 
 
The Railsplitters have beaten the Bulldogs 14 consecutive times and are looking to sweep the season series for the sixth straight year. 
 
Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. Live stats and video links are available at www.lmurailsplitters.com, while fans can also follow along with live updates via the official LMU athletics Twitter page, @LMURailsplitter.
 
Notes on Wingate
 
- Wednesday's loss at Catawba snapped a three-game winning streak for the Bulldogs that included wins at Anderson and Carson-Newman as well as a home victory over Coker. 
- The Bulldogs play at a fast pace, ranking second in the conference in field-goal attempts per game with nearly 66. However, Wingate has accounted for the fourth-fewest points per game with 78.2 and is shooting 42 percent from the field, the second-lowest mark in the SAC. 
- Wingate averages 28 three-point tries per game and is hitting nearly 10 of those attempts, ranking fourth in the league in three-pointers per contest. 
- Guard Marco Haskins has been one of the premier players in the SAC all season. Haskins is accounting for 19.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 45 percent from the field and a league-leading 46.3 percent from three. He has gone for 20-plus point in three of his last four games, including back-to-back 23-point outbursts. 
- Haskins is backed by guards Frankie Johnson and Emarius Logan, who are contributing 11.4 and 11.1 points per game, respectively. Johnson is also grabbing 5.4 rebounds and handing out 5.2 assists per outing. 
- Sophomore Quantra Taylor is leading the 'Dogs with 8.2 rebounds per night. 
- Wingate has allowed opponents to score just 74.9 points per game, the third-lowest mark in the league. However, the Bulldogs are giving up 43 percent shooting and a 35 percent mark from three. 
- Cuddy Arena has been a tough play to play for visiting teams as the Bulldogs are 8-3 on their home court this season. Wingate averages nearly 10 points more per game at home (82.5) than on the road (73.8). 
- The Bulldogs rank second in the SAC in steals per game with 8.0. Johnson leads the team in that area with 2.1 per contest. 
 
Last Time Out 
 
The Railsplitters shot 70 percent, went 8-for-12 from three and held Anderson to 28 percent shooting in the first half to take a commanding 61-30 lead into the halftime locker room in a 95-72 win at Tex Turner Arena on Wednesday night.
 
Lincoln Memorial was lethargic in the second half as the Trojans outscored the home team 42-34 while shooting 47 percent from the field, but the 31-point halftime deficit was far too great to overcome. 
 
Courvoisier McCauley had a career night for the Railsplitters, scoring a career-high 23 points – with 19 in the first half – to go along with six rebounds in 25 minutes of work off the bench. Cornelius Taylor added 19 points, six boards, three assists and two steals, while Anthony Brown chipped in 13 points, six rebounds and five assists. 
 
The Railsplitters topped Anderson for the 13th consecutive time, while head coach Josh Schertz took over sole possession of the second place in SAC history with his 174th career conference win. He surpassed former Catawba coach Jim Baker in just his 11th season at the helm of the LMU men's basketball program. 
 
Tip-Ins
 
- The Railsplitters improved to 10-1 at Tex Turner Arena with Wednesday's win. Lincoln Memorial also scored 90-plus points for the eighth time in 2018-19 and for the sixth time at home. 
- While LMU has dominated at home, the road has been a completely different story. The Railsplitters are 4-5 in true road games, and are averaging 11 points less per game on the road than at home. 
- McCauley's 23-point performance surpassed his previous career-high of 16, which also came against Anderson on December 12. 
- The Railsplitters remain the best defensive team in the South Atlantic Conference, leading the league by holding opponents to 39 percent shooting. Strangely, Lincoln Memorial has conceded a 34 percent mark from three, though, which is ranked eighth in the league. 
- Alex Dahling has hit double figures in four consecutive games. Over that span, the sophomore sharpshooter has hit at least four three-pointers three times. 
- Saturday's game marks the beginning of a road-heavy stretch for the Railsplitters, who will play four of their last six SAC games on the road. 
 
Series History 
 
- The Railsplitters have not lost to Wingate since falling 69-53 in the title game of the 2013 SAC Championship. Since then, Lincoln Memorial has reeled off 14 straight wins over the Bulldogs, including an 81-72 triumph at Tex Turner Arena back on December 15. 
- Lincoln Memorial is 24-9 all-time against Wingate and has won eight of the last nine matchups by double figures. 
- The Railsplitters have won eight straight games at Cuddy Arena dating back to their last road loss in the series on January 2, 2010.