HARROGATE, Tenn. – The hottest men's basketball team in the nation returns to the hardwood Saturday when Lincoln Memorial University takes to the court with defending regular season South Atlantic Conference champion Queens University of Charlotte in North Carolina. The much-anticipated tip-off from inside the Levine Center in Charlotte is slated for 4 p.m.
 
The Railsplitters (20-1, 13-0) go for the series sweep of the Royals (14-5, 9-4) and attempt to remain unblemished in league play and in 2020.
 
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 QueensAthletics.com. As usual, in-game updates will be available on LMU Railsplitter athletics' official Twitter account, @LMURailsplitter.
 
Opening Tip
- At 20 games, LMU holds the longest winning streak in all of NCAA Division II men's basketball by eight games. It is the most consecutive wins for the Railsplitters since earning 21-straight victories two years ago during the 2017-18 season and is only four games from LMU's longest win streak in program history, a 24-game stretch during the Blue and Gray's run to the national title game in 2015-16.
- 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, on Nov. 1 was the Railsplitters' first and only loss this season.
- Reaching its 20th consecutive victory Wednesday night with an 87-65 home triumph over longtime local rival Carson-Newman, LMU now holds the five longest winnings streaks in conference history. In fact, the Railsplitters are the only program in the 12-team SAC to have won 20 in a row at any point.
- Owning five 20-game winning streaks in program history, LMU's four other such streaks all took place in the last 10 years beginning in 2010-11 (22). The Railsplitters also won 20-straight during their 2014-15 campaign while winning 24 in order in 2015-16 and 21 consecutive in 20127-18.
- A win Saturday would tie LMU's third-longest winning streak in school history.
- LMU's 12 consecutive conference wins are also the most of any team in the nation, while its 20 total victories are tied for the most among all Division II programs.
- Playing a 22-game league schedule in the 12-team SAC, the Railsplitters have defeated every team in the conference at least once and have topped both Coker and Carson-Newman twice.
- With the release of the national polls Tuesday afternoon, LMU moved up one spot in both the National Association of basketball Coaches (NABC) Top 25 and the D2SIDA Media Poll to No. 2 in the nation. Prior to Tuesday, The Railsplitters had been ranked third in coaches poll for four consecutive weeks and third in the media poll for three-straight weeks. For the third consecutive week, LMU is receiving one first-place vote in the D2SIDA Media Poll.
- It marks the fourth-straight week the Railsplitters have been ranked in the top five of both national polls. The No. 2 ranking is the highest for LMU since completing the 2017-18 season as the top team in the land.
- For seventh consecutive weeks the Railsplitters are ranked among the top five teams in the country, marking the 48th week in program history.
- Queens enters Saturday as the only other SAC member ranked or receiving votes in the two top-25 polls. The Royals (14-5, 9-4) are receiving six votes in the coaches poll and sit at No. 17 in the media poll.
- Since Nov. 25, 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 earlier this week. Queens is ranked second in the regional poll.
- LMU owns six wins over teams who were either ranked or receiving votes in at least one of the two national polls when the Railsplitters defeated them. Three of those are top-25 victories with LMU 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.
- Saturday afternoon will mark the eighth game this season in which LMU has taken on a team either ranked or receiving votes in at least one of the two national polls at the time of the contest. It will be the sixth time of 2019-20 in which the Railsplitters' opponent is at least receiving votes in both top-25 rankings.
- 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 redshirt sophomore guard Cameron Henry and senior point guard Anthony Brown have reached 20 points three times.
- Three different Railsplitters have turned in 30-point outings in 2019-20 with both McCauley and Whitfield scoring more than 30 twice and Henry claiming 30 points once.
- Four of LMU's five starters are averaging double-digit scoring led by McCauley's 19.8 points per game and followed by Whitfield (17.3 PPG), Henry (14.2 PPG) and Brown (12.5 PPG).
- LMU continues to lead all of Division II basketball in two key categories, field goal percentage defense (37.4%) and defensive rebounding (32.1 RPG), while ranking second in scoring margin (24.0), third in three-point defense (29%), assists (415), and assists per game (19.8), fifth in shooting (52.2%) and eighth in scoring (92.9 PPG).
- Holding a 16-6 lead in the all-time series with Queens, the Railsplitters have gone 6-3 against the Royals in North Carolina. However, the Blue and Gray have not won in Charlotte since taking down then No. 1 Queens on a Trevon Shaw go-ahead trey in January of 2018.
 
Last Time vs. the Royals
On Dec. 7, then eighth-ranked LMU snapped a three-game slide versus Queens by handling the then 12th-ranked Royals 73-64 behind 51 percent shooting inside Tex Turner Arena. Outscoring Queens 39-21 in the first half and holding the Royals to just 34.8 percent shooting for the 40 minutes of action, the Railsplitters knocked down six first-half three pointers and limited the visitors to only eight field goals in the opening 20 minutes. LMU got a game-high 26 points on 10-for-15 shooting from McCauley and led by as many as 20 in the first half. Despite a 24-13 Queens run over the first 12:06 of the second half, the Railsplitters used a 14-7 run over a four-and-a-half minute stretch late to come away with the triumph. Overcoming a minus-13 deficit on the offensive glass and a minus-five rebounding margin, LMU scored 18 fastbreak points and claimed 16 points off of 11 steals.
 
Last Time Out
One of only four Division II basketball programs to have posted 20 wins or more for 10 consecutive years, LMU secured its 11th-straight 20-win season with a convincing 87-65 home victory over longtime local rival Carson-Newman Wednesday night. LMU held the Eagles to 38.5 percent shooting and outrebounded Carson-Newman, who is one of the best rebounding teams in the nation, 40-37. Leading from the 11:22 mark of the first half on, the Railsplitters had four double-figure scorers led by a career-high 23 points from Anthony Brown. The 6-foot-1 Clermont, Florida (Lake Minneola HS), native went an impressive 4-for-5 from three-point land, knocked down all five of his free throws, handed out a game-high tying seven dimes and collected six boards with a pair of blocks and a steal.
 
Southeast Region Supremacy
Sitting atop the Division II Southeast Region, LMU has already defeated four 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 now No. 8 regionally-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne and USC Aiken who is tied for ninth in the region, the Railsplitters held their ground and came away with convincing victories. LMU took down the Royals on Dec. 7 by a 73-64 score, defeated the Bears by 20 (97-77) on Dec. 18, routed the Indians by 25 (110-85) on Jan. 11 and were 83-72 victors over the Pacers on Nov. 9 during the Railsplitters' SAC vs. Peach Belt Conference Challenge.
 
Distance from the Rest
Fourteen of LMU's 20 victories thus far this season have come in dominant fashion. Owning an astounding seven wins by at least 31 points and 14 by 20 or more, the Railsplitters have outscored their competition by 503 points through 21 games. On Dec. 15, LMU defeated visiting NAIA member Tennessee Wesleyan by 60 points (122-62) for its 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 (twice), 25, 22 (twice), 21 and 20 points this season. During its 20-game win streak, LMU has defeated its opponents by an impressive average of 25.7 points.
 
Among Statistical Leaders
In addition to their field-goal percentage defense, three-point defense, defensive rebounding, scoring margin, assists, shooting and scoring, the Railsplitters are among the elite teams in the nation in several other offensive and defensive statistical categories. LMU ranks 10th nationally in both three pointers made (232) and total rebounds (835) while ranked 11th in the country in three-point shooting (41%) and assist/turnover ratio (1.54), 17th in free-throw shooting (78.7%), 21st in three pointer per game (11.0), 27th in steals (174) and 31st in rebounds per game (39.8 RPG).
 
Bevo Francis Award Top 100 Watch List Members
On Jan. 15, 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.
 
What Cam Can Do
Redshirt sophomore guard Cameron Henry has seemingly been on triple-double watch each of his last six outings, averaging 19.0 points, 10.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.7 steals. On Wednesday night against the Eagles, Henry had another standout performance with his fifth double-double of the season, sixth of his career and third in the last six games. Henry scored 14 points and collected 10 rebounds as he also dished out seven assists, made a game-high four steals and had a block. Over his last six games, the 6-foot-6 versatile guard has shot 53.3 percent (24-of-45) from three-point land and 57.3 percent (43-of-75) overall from the field while recording five double-figure scoring games and four double-digit rebounding performances. For the season, Henry has turned in a trio of 20-point games and reached double figures in points 15 different times with five double-doubles. He leads the team in rebounding (8.1 RPG) and ranks fourth in the SAC in that category, not to mention ranking 23rd nationally and second in the league in defensive rebounds per game (7.05). The Chesterfield, Virginia (Lloyd C. Bird HS), native is 15th in the nation and leads the conference in steals (46) while 20th in the country and second in the SAC in steals per game (2.3).
 
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 306-65 (.825) 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 11 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 306-65 (.825) 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.

rv/No. 17 Queens | 2019-20 Record: 14-5, 9-4 SAC

• The Royals enter having lost their previous two outings in tightly-contested affairs after holding a six-game win streak. A week ago, Queens dropped an 82-80 decision at Lenoir-Rhyne and was upended 86-82 at Anderson Wednesday night.
• Picked as the preseason favorite to win the league with eight first-place votes, the Royals are the defending regular season SAC champions. Queens posted a 19-1 league record in 2018-19 and went 31-5 overall.
• Since joining the league in 2013-14, the Royals have finished either first or second in the final SAC standings each of the last five seasons. Queens also won the regular season title in 2016-17 and claimed the 2017 SAC Tournament title.
• Senior 6-foot-1 guard Daniel Carr, a 2019 All-SAC First Team selection and all-region performer, leads the team in scoring (18.2 PPG) while redshirt freshman 6-foot-8 forward Jamari Smith (13.9 PPG), redshirt senior 6-foot-2 guard Van Turner, Jr. (11.3 PPG) and sophomore 5-foot-11 guard Jermaine Patterson (10.4 PPG) are also averaging double-figure scoring.
• Freshman 6-foot-8 forward Gavin Rains leads the team in rebounding (7.1 RPG) and 2019 SAC All-Freshman Team pick sophomore 6-foot guard Kenny Dye is the Royals' top passer (4.0 APG).
• Rains is second in the SAC in shooting (60.7%) while Turner, Jr. is ranked fourth in the league in three-point shooting (43.9%).
• Queens is led by the winningest head coach in program history, Bart Lundy, who is in his seventh season of his second stint as the Royals' lead man. Lundy, who is in his 12th year overall guiding the Queens men's basketball team, owns a 277-91 (.753) record as a head coach in Charlotte. In 18 seasons as a head coach at the Division I and II levels, Lundy has posted a 373-178 (.677) career record.
• Prior to his second stint coaching the Royals, Lundy was the head coach at Division I High Point University where he went 96-66 (.593) in six seasons from 2003-09.
• Railsplitter head coach Schertz worked under Lundy for seven seasons at Queens and Division I High Point University as an associate head coach prior to taking over in Harrogate.
• Last season, LMU was defeated at Queens, 90-62.

 
Looking Ahead
The Railsplitters travel to Hickory, North Carolina, Wednesday for a 7:30 p.m. tilt at Lenoir-Rhyne before returning to the comforts of Tex Turner Arena next Saturday, Feb. 8 for a matchup with Wingate.
 
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.