HARROGATE, Tenn. – Riding the nation's longest winning streak and ranked No. 3 in the country, the Lincoln Memorial University men's basketball team goes for its 16th straight victory Wednesday night when it hosts Mars Hill University. Presented by Commercial Bank, the South Atlantic Conference contest is slated to tip off at 7:30 p.m. inside Tex Turner Arena following the women's matchup with Mars Hill.
 
The Railsplitters (15-1, 8-0) have won 20 straight versus the Lions (7-7, 5-3) and are looking to remain perfect in league play and at home.
 
How to Follow
Wednesday night's affair will be streamed live via SAC Live on Stretch Internet, while live statistics of the game can be followed by visiting LMURailsplitters.com. The voice of the Railsplitters, Rusty Peace, will have the call of the game. As usual, in-game updates will be available on LMU Railsplitter athletics' official Twitter account, @LMURailsplitter.
 
Opening Tip
- At 15 games, LMU holds the longest winning streak in all of NCAA Division II men's basketball. It is the most consecutive wins for the Railsplitters since winning 21 straight during their 2017-18 campaign. LMU has not lost since an overtime neutral-site setback to top-five ranked West Texas A&M in the season opener at the fourth annual Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic in Saint Joseph, Missouri.
- For the second-straight week, the Railsplitters are ranked in the top five of both national polls. Last week, LMU landed a spot in the top five of both rankings for the first time since ending the 2017-18 season as the top team in the land.
- The Railsplitters held steady at No. 3 in Tuesday's National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Top 25 poll, marking the third-straight week LMU has been ranked third in the coaches poll.
- In the most recent D2SIDA Media Poll, which was also released Tuesday, the Railsplitters jumped one spot to No. 3 after ranking fourth in the first national media poll of the new year last week. Most importantly, LMU received one first-place vote in the D2SIDA Media poll for the first time of 2019-20.
- Only top-ranked Bellarmine (12-0) and defending national champion Northwest Missouri State (15-1) rank ahead of the Railsplitters in both national polls. Bellarmine is receiving all 16 first-place nods in the NABC Top 25 and 14 first-place votes in the media poll, while the Bearcats are receiving one first-place acknowledgement in the D2SIDA Media Poll.
- Tuesday's national polls mark the fifth-straight week LMU has been ranked among the top five teams in the country and 46th week in program history.
- Fellow SAC members Queens University of Charlotte and Catawba also appear in the national polls with the Royals receiving votes in the NABC Top 25 and ranking 16th in the media poll. The Indians are ranked 25th in the D2SIDA Media Poll and are receiving votes in the coaches poll.
- Since Nov. 25, 2019, the Railsplitters have been ranked at the top of the D2SIDA Southeast Region Poll and continue to lead the regional rankings after receiving all six first-place votes Monday morning. Queens is ranked second in the regional poll, followed Catawba and Belmont Abbey.  
- LMU owns six victories over teams who were either ranked or receiving votes in at least one of the two national polls when the Railsplitters played them. Three of those are top-25 wins with LMU defeating then 22nd-ranked Davenport (D2SIDA Media Poll) 98-48 on Nov. 2, then 12th-ranked Queens (NABC Top 25) 73-64 on Dec. 7 and then 22nd-ranked Catawba (NABC Top 25) 110-85 this past Saturday.
- The Railsplitters continue to lead the country in defensive field-goal percentage (37%) and defensive rebounds per game (32.6) while ranking third nationally in scoring margin (24.8), fourth in assists (317), fifth in shooting (52.1%) and eighth in scoring (93.2 PPG).
- Holding a 36-9 all-time record versus Mars Hill, LMU has not dropped a game to the Lions since an overtime home affair on Jan. 23, 2010. The Railsplitters are 19-4 against Mars Hill at home with each of the last 10 meetings inside Tex Turner Arena decided by no fewer than 12 points. Both of LMU's last two losses to the Lions came in overtime with three of its nine total against Mars Hill decided in extra time.
- During the 2017-18 season, the Railsplitters' meeting with the Lions inside Tex Turner Arena turned into the most prolific offensive display in program and SAC history. On Dec. 11, 2017, LMU shattered several school and league records with an 87-point, 156-69 blowout of Mars Hill. The Railsplitters set records for most points scored (156), points in a first half (70), points in a half with 86 in the second half, three pointers made (30) and margin of victory. Furthermore, LMU broke the program record for field-goal percentage by shooting 73.4 percent (58-of-79) for the game and a ridiculous 77 percent (30-of-39) in the second half. Going an unbelievable 30-for-43 from long range, the Blue and Gray's 69.8 percent three-point shooting output was the second-best three-point field goal percentage in school history.
 
Statement Win
After a lackluster first half in the versus UVA Wise last Wednesday night, the Railsplitters responded in a big way Saturday. For the second time of 2019-20, LMU won a battle of league and NCAA Division II Southeast Region leaders with a convincing 25-point, 110-85 rout of nationally-ranked Catawba inside Tex Turner Arena. The triumph was the Railsplitters' 10th by at least 20 points this season. Extending its nation-leading win streak, LMU shot 60.3 percent from the field, scored 61 second-half points and nailed 13 three pointers. The Railsplitters got a game-high 29 points on 10-for-14 shooting from standout sophomore guard Courvoisier McCauley and a career-high 27 points from an electric Julius Brown. The sophomore guard hit all four of his three-point attempts and was also 10-for-14 from the floor in 29-and-a-half minutes off the bench. Starting senior point guard Anthony Brown notched his second 20-point outing of the season with 21 points, a game-high six assists and five rebounds. The high-flying, 6-foot-1 Florida native rose up for one of the most impressive dunks in recent LMU memory a few minutes in and went 8-for-9 at the foul line.
 
McCauley as Player of the Week
After averaging 26 points, eight rebounds, two assists and 1.5 steals in the Railsplitters' two home wins last week, McCauley was named SAC AstroTurf Player of the Week Monday morning for the second time of the season.
 
Head Coach Josh Schertz Wins No. 300
Last Wednesday night's 76-64 win over UVA Wise was head coach Josh Schertz' 300th of his remarkable career. He needed just 365 games as a head coach to reach the career milestone. Coach Schertz now owns an astonishing 301-65 (.822) record in 12 seasons at the helm of the LMU men's basketball program.
 
Distance from the Rest
Ten of the Railsplitters' 14 victories thus far this season have come in dominant fashion. Owning an astounding seven wins by at least 31 points and 10 by 20 or more, LMU has outscored its competition by 397 points through just 16 games. On Dec. 15, the Railsplitters defeated visiting NAIA member Tennessee Wesleyan by 60 points (122-62) for their largest margin of victory since pummeling Mars Hill by 87 (156-69) in December of 2017. LMU has notched wins of 60, 50, 47, 40, 37, 32, 31, 26, 25 and 20 points this season. During their 15-game win streak, the Railsplitters have defeated their opponents by an impressive average of 27.1 points.
 
Decade of Excellence
Closing the books on one of the best decades of basketball among all NCAA levels, LMU achieved unheralded success from 2010 until the start of 2020 last week. Below are some of the Railsplitters' biggest accomplishments.

• 254-50 (.836) overall record
• 148-13 (.919) record inside Tex Turner Arena
• 174-28 (.861) SAC record
• 11 SAC titles, including seven regular season championships (2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018) and four SAC Tournament titles (2011, 2014, 2016, 2018)
• Eight-straight NCAA Tournament appearances (2011-18)
• Two Elite Eight appearances (2016 and 2017)
• Two national semifinal appearances (2016 and 2017)
• One NCAA title game appearance (2016)
• Eight All-Americans (Emanuel Terry, 2018; Dorian Pinson, 2018; Chris Perry, 2017; Luquon Choice, 2017; Gerel Simmons, 2016; Lorenza Ross, 2015; Vincent Bailey, 2014; Desmond Johnson, 2011)
• 37 All-SAC selections with 18 first-team picks

 
Railsplitters at Home
Inside Tex Turner Arena, LMU has registered a .929 (144-11) winning percentage over the past 10 seasons. Entering the 2019-20 season, the Railsplitters ranked sixth nationally at home in all of college basketball since 2010-11 with a .925 (135-11) winning percentage. Only West Liberty (.953), Bellarmine (.949), Kansas (.947), Kentucky (.942) and Duke (.929) owned a higher home court winning percentage than LMU during that span. Since coach Schertz took over the reins of the program prior to the 2008-09 campaign, the Railsplitters have gone 167-16 (.913) in home contests.
 
Standard of Success
LMU has finished within the top two of the final SAC standings each of the last nine years, spent 95-straight weeks in the national rankings from December 2010 to December 2016 and completed the season as the top team in the country in two of the last four seasons. The Railsplitters are one of only four Division II programs to have posted 20 wins or more for 10 consecutive years. Only West Liberty (15), Bellarmine (11) and Indiana Pa. (11) can say the same. LMU has also reached the NCAA Tournament eight of the last nine seasons.
 
Coach Schertz Among the Elite
Since taking over the Railsplitter men's basketball program in March of 2008, head coach Josh Schertz has amassed a remarkable 301-65 (.822) record over 12 seasons. Entering the 2019-20 season, Schertz' career winning percentage (.817) was the fifth-highest of all head coaches in college basketball history at any NCAA level. Furthermore, Schertz ranks third among active head coaches with at least 10 years at the helm - Jim Crutchfield, Nova Southeastern (.844) and Mark Few, Gonzaga (.827) - and owns the second-highest winning percentage among Division II leaders.
 
Looking Ahead
The Railsplitters hit the road for a pair of games beginning with a trip to the Palmetto State to face Anderson inside the Abney Athletic Center Saturday at 4 p.m. Next Wednesday, Jan. 22, LMU will head to nearby Greeneville, Tennessee, to take on Tusculum at 7:30 p.m.
 
LMU L-Club
All LMU L-Club members receive basketball season tickets with premium seating available through silver and platinum memberships. Additional membership benefits include discounts at community partner locations, exclusive e-mail communications, VIP basketball parking and Tex Turner Arena hospitality room access. Become an LMU L-Club member today by visiting LMURailsplitters.com.  
 
On Social
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.