HARROGATE, Tenn. – The third-ranked Lincoln Memorial University men's basketball team will go for its 19th-straight win Saturday afternoon when South Atlantic Conference adversary Coker University visits Harrogate for a 4 p.m. tip-off inside Tex Turner Arena. Presented by The Olde Mill Inn Bed and Breakfast, the conference matchup between the Railsplitters (18-1, 11-0) and Cobras (5-10, 4-7) opens up the second half of league play for both squads.   
 
How to Follow
Saturday afternoon's game will be streamed live via SAC Live on Stretch Internet, while live statistics of the contest 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
- Currently at 18 games, LMU holds the longest winning streak in all of NCAA Division II men's basketball by five games. It is the most consecutive wins for the Railsplitters since earning 21-straight victories two years ago during the 2017-18 season. LMU has not lost since an overtime neutral-site setback to top-five ranked West Tex A&M (99-89) in the season opener at the fourth annual Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic in Saint Joseph, Missouri.
- Perfect at home and in SAC play, the Railsplitters' 11 consecutive conference wins are the most of any team in the nation. Furthermore, LMU's 18 total victories are tied for the second-most among all Division II programs.
- Playing a 22-game league schedule in the 12-team SAC, the Railsplitters got through the first half conference play unblemished Wednesday night with a 96-81 win at nearby Tusculum University.
- For the third-straight week, LMU is ranked in the top five of both national polls. Two weeks ago, the Railsplitters 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.
- LMU is steady at No. 3 in the most recent National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Top 25 poll, marking the fourth consecutive week the Railsplitters have been ranked third in the coaches poll.
- In the latest D2SIDA Media Poll, LMU checks in at No. 3 for the second-straight week. The Railsplitters continue to receive one first-place vote in the media poll after receiving a first-place nod in the D2SIDA Media Poll for the first time of 2019-20 last week.
- Only top-ranked Bellarmine (14-2) and defending national champion Northwest Missouri State (17-1) rank ahead of LMU in both national polls. Bellarmine is receiving all 16 first-place votes in the coaches poll and 11 first-place choices in the media poll, while the Bearcats are receiving three first-place acknowledgements in the D2SIDA Media Poll. However, there will most likely be some shakeup at the top of the rankings next week as this week's polls do not reflect Bellarmine's two losses this week.
- For the sixth consecutive week the Railsplitters are ranked among the top five teams in the country, marking the 47th week in program history.
- Since Nov. 25, 2019, LMU has been ranked at the top of the D2SIDA Southeast Region Poll and continues to lead the regional rankings after receiving five first-place votes this week. Queens is ranked second in the regional poll, followed by King University of Conference Carolinas third and UNC Pembroke out of the Peach Belt Conference fourth. 
- The Railsplitters own six wins over teams who were either ranked or receiving votes in at least one of the two national polls when LMU defeated them. Three of those are top-25 victories with Railsplitters ousting 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 on Jan. 11.
- A remarkable seven different LMU players have scored at least 20 points in a game this season with four owning multiple 20-point outings. Sophomore guard Courvoisier McCauley and redshirt junior guard Devin Whitfield have both scored 20 points or more on 10 different occasions, while senior point guard Anthony Brown and redshirt sophomore guard Cameron Henry have notched two 20-point performances through 19 games.
- Holding their opponents to 37.5 percent shooting, the Railsplitters lead the nation in field-goal percentage defense while also leading the country in defensive rebounding (32.1 RPG). LMU also ranks second nationally in scoring margin (23.9), third in total assists (373), fourth in shooting (52.5%), fifth in assists per game (19.6), eighth in scoring (93.5 PPG) and 10th in assist/turnover ratio (1.53).  
- The Railsplitters have never lost to Coker and are a perfect 13-0 versus the Cobras, including a 92-61 triumph in Hartsville, South Carolina, back on Nov. 30. Over its last eight meetings with Coker, LMU has defeated the Cobras by an average score of 34.4 points. In six home games against Coker, the Railsplitters have won by an average margin of 25 points.

Coaches in Sneakers
- For the second time this week, the LMU coaching staff will participate in the nationwide Coaches vs. Cancer Suits And Sneakers Week by wearing sneakers in Saturday afternoon's game.
- Coaches across the country unite for a common cause – saving lives from cancer! Coaches and their staff across the nation wear sneakers with their suits during games to raise awareness and help save lives from cancer by raising funds and encouraging people to educate themselves about cancer prevention, screening, and early detection.
 
Once Through the SAC
Having defeated every SAC team at least once in 2019-20, LMU made it through the first half of conference play by an average of 20.3 points. Wednesday night, the Railsplitters claimed their seventh consecutive triumph away from home by turning in one of the finest shooting performances in program history inside Pioneer Arena in Greeneville, Tennessee. LMU shot 66 percent (35-of-53) from the field for 40 minutes of action against Tusculum, the fifth-best shooting outing in Railsplitter history. It was LMU's best shooting game since setting the program's single-game field goal percentage record at 73.4 percent in the Railsplitters' 87-point blowout of Mars Hill in December of 2017. Connecting on 13 of its 21 three-point attempts (61.9%), LMU shot a blistering 74.1 percent (20-of-27) in the second half and knocked down six of its nine second-half three pointers.

Last Time vs. Coker
The Railsplitters earned a 31-point, 92-61 victory for their eighth-straight win after overcoming an eight-point deficit in the first half. Closing the game on a 26-7 run over the final 10:20, LMU outpaced the host Cobras 48-19 in the second half and limited Coker to just 28 points across the last 27:55 of play. Outscoring the Cobras 40-10 in the paint, the Railsplitters owned a 44-30 advantage on the glass and outpaced Coker 20-8 in fastbreak points.

Southeast Region Supremacy
Sitting atop the NCAA Division II Southeast Region, LMU has already defeated three regionally ranked teams. Facing both then 12th-ranked Queens and then 22nd-ranked Catawba in battles of SAC and Southeast Region leaders, not to mention then receiving-votes USC Aiken in the Railsplitters' home-opening conference crossover challenge, LMU held its ground and came away with convincing victories. The Railsplitters took down the Royals on Dec. 7 by a 73-64 score, ousted the Indians by 25 (110-85) just two weeks ago and were 83-72 victors over the Pacers on Nov. 9.

Distance from the Rest
Twelve of LMU's 18 victories thus far this season have come in dominant fashion. Owning an astounding seven wins by at least 31 points and 12 by 20 or more, the Railsplitters have outscored their competition by 455 points through 19 games. On Dec. 15, LMU 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. The Railsplitters have notched wins of 60, 50, 47, 40, 37, 32, 31, 26, 25, 22, 21 and 20 points this season. During its 18-game win streak, LMU has defeated its opponents by an impressive average of 25.8 points.

Among Statistical Leaders
In addition to their field-goal percentage defense, defensive rebounding, scoring margin, assists, shooting, scoring and assist/turnover ratio, the Railsplitters are among the elite teams in the nation in several other offensive and defensive statistical categories. LMU ranks 11th nationally in made three pointers (210) and the Railsplitters are 13th among all Division II programs in total rebounds (753), 16th free-throw shooting (78.4%), 18th in both three-point shooting (40.4%) and three-point field-goal percentage defense (30.5%), 22nd in three pointers made per game (11.1), 23rd in steals (163) and 30th in three-point field goal attempts (520).

Bevo Francis Award Top 100 Watch List Members
Last week, McCauley and Anthony Brown were both named to the 2020 Bevo Francis Award Top 100 watch list as announced by Small College Basketball and the National Awards Committee. Presented annually, the Clarence "Bevo" Francis Award is given to the player who has the finest overall season within Small College Basketball (non-Division I). The two guards joined an illustrious list of former LMU players who have been named to the Bevo Francis Award watch list in recent years, including Jalen Steele (2016), Luquon Choice (2016 and 2017), Dorian Pinson (2017 and 2018), Trevon Shaw (2018), Emanuel Terry (2018) and Cornelius Taylor (2019). All-American Terry won the national player of the year award in 2018 after compiling a remarkable 126-14 career record donning the Blue and Gray. It marks the fifth-straight year the Railsplitters have had at least one player named to the Bevo Francis Award Top 100 watch list.

Head Coach Josh Schertz Wins No. 300
LMU's 76-64 win over UVA Wise on Wednesday, Jan. 8 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 304-65 (.824) record in 12 seasons at the helm of the Railsplitter men's basketball program.
 
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. 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

 
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 304-65 (.824) 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 (.845) and Mark Few, Gonzaga (.827) - and owns the second-highest winning percentage among Division II leaders.

Coker | 2019-20 Record: 5-10, 4-7 SAC

• The Cobras enter the weekend tied for ninth in the SAC with a 4-7 conference mark and a 5-10 overall record. However, Coker has won three of its last four games and is coming off of back-to-back victories at UVA Wise (81-77) last Saturday and versus Newberry (74-72) Wednesday.  The Cobras have also defeated Tusculum (67-58) at home and Wingate (49-45) on the road in league action.
• Under the direction of first-year head coach Jarred Merrill, Coker features two double-figure scorers in junior 6-foot-3 shooting guard Royce Hunter (17.0 PPG) and sophomore 5-foot-11 guard Chandler Lindsey (10.8 PPG). Redshirt sophomore 6-foot-5 forward Dakota Jennings (5.5 RPG) and freshman 6-foot-5 small forward Williams Onyeodi (5.4 RPG) lead the team in rebounding while Lindsey is averaging a team-best 2.6 assists per game.
• The Cobras were picked to finish last in the 12-team SAC after finishing 11th out of 11 teams a year ago with a 1-19 league record and only three total wins.

Looking Ahead
The Railsplitters welcome rival Carson-Newman to Tex Turner Arena next Wednesday for a 7:30 p.m. SAC matchup presented by Coca-Cola. LMU will then hit the road for a pair of games at nationally-ranked Queens next Saturday, Feb. 1 and at Lenoir-Rhyne Wednesday, Feb. 5.
 
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.