HARROGATE, Tenn. – Playing five games within a nine-day period and three over a five-day stretch, the Lincoln Memorial University men's basketball team had its finest performance thus far this season Saturday inside B. Frank "Tex" Turner Arena. The fifth-ranked Railsplitters (11-1, 9-1 SAC) were outstanding on both ends of the floor in a 117-64 South Atlantic Conference blowout of Limestone University in Harrogate.
 
The 53-point margin of victory is LMU's largest in 2020-21 as LMU secured its fourth-straight win. Making it 24 consecutive home triumphs dating back to the end of the 2018-19 season, the Railsplitters recorded the 10th-best shooting percentage in a single game in program history. Shooting 64.2 percent (43-of-67) for the game, LMU knocked down 15 of its 28 three-point attempts (53.6 percent) and got 51 points from its bench.
 
Fourteen of 15 Railsplitters who saw game action scored and LMU outscored the visiting Saints (1-7, 1-7 SAC) 56-16 in the paint. Keeping their turnovers in check (10), the Railsplitters were impressive defensively as well. LMU held Limestone to 31.3 percent (21-of-67) shooting on the day, including just 25 percent (8-of-32) from outside.
 
Reaching the century mark for the sixth time this season, the Railsplitters were overwhelming in the first half and continued their torrid pace down the stretch behind inspired play off the bench.
 
Locked at 8-8 four minutes in, LMU went on a 14-0 run over the next 3:12 to take a 22-8 lead. The Railsplitters extended their run to 25-1 to open up a 24-point lead at 33-9 with 10:20 to go in the half before the two teams began to exchange baskets. A layup from redshirt sophomore guard/forward Xavier Bledson gave the Railsplitters a 26-point advantage at 56-30 and LMU headed into the locker room up 60-36 at the break.
 
Shooting 71 percent (22-of-31) from the floor in the opening 20 minutes, the Railsplitters connected on seven of their 12 shot attempts from distance (58.3 percent). Scoring a season-best 60 first-half points, four different LMU players reached double figures by halftime. Senior guard Alex Dahling went 4-for-6 from beyond the arc and totaled all 14 of his points in the first half, while Bledson went 6-for-8 and scored 15.
 
The Railsplitters limited the Saints to 34.4 percent (11-of-32) first-half shooting despite Limestone going 9-for-10 at the foul line.
 
A 7-3 run over the first three minutes of the second half gave LMU a commanding 28-point advantage at 67-39. A technical foul assessed on the Saints' head coach 6:15 into the second half allowed Bledson to make a pair of foul shots as the Railsplitters took their first 30-point lead of the contest at 73-43. Redshirt senior guard Devin Whitfield knocked down a three pointer to cap an 11-3 run, giving LMU an 80-46 lead with just under 12 minutes to go.
 
Another Whitfield three, followed by a free throw from redshirt freshman guard Luke Bartemes put the Railsplitters up by 40 at 90-50 with 8:11 left. From there, LMU flexed its talented depth.
 
A conventional three-point play from redshirt freshman guard Me'Kell Burries put the Railsplitters up by 43 at 96-53 with 6:15 remaining. Moments later, a three pointer from redshirt sophomore guard Chase Rankin, back-to-back layups by redshirt senior forward Shaquille Rombley and a deep ball from Burries made up a 10-2 run that increased LMU's lead to 45 at 106-61.
 
Continuing the onslaught of outside scoring, both true freshman guard/forward Nekhi Smith and redshirt freshman forward Simon Wilbar splashed in threes to make it a 51-point game at 112-61. Freshman guard Tyler McKinney notched his first collegiate three pointer in the closing seconds to give the Railsplitters their largest lead of the game.
 
Assisting on 17 of its 21 second-half buckets, LMU shot 58.3 percent (21-of-36) across the final 20 minutes and went 8-for-16 from long range. The Railsplitters were even better defensively in the second half, holding Limestone to just 28.6 percent (10-of-35) shooting from the field and 17.6 percent (3-of-17) from three-point distance.
 
For the second-straight outing and third time this season LMU collected 30 assists. The Railsplitters have now won 43 of their last 44 games and 31 of their last 32 SAC matchups.
 
Whitfield secured his 10th-straight 20-point scoring performance with a game-high 24 points on 9-for-15 shooting, not to mention grabbing seven rebounds, making two steals, and earning a block. Reigning SAC Player of the Week Cameron Henry nearly registered a triple-double, scoring 14 points to go along with a game-high nine boards and game-best seven assists in only 25-and-a-half minutes of action. The redshirt junior guard made a pair of steals and went 6-for-8 from the field.
 
Bledson finished with a career-high 19 points and had five assists and four rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench. In addition to his 14 points, Dahling recorded five boards, a trio of assists, a block, and a steal. Burries scored a career-high eight points on 3-for-3 shooting, while starting point guard Julius Brown scored nine and distributed three assists. Rombley posted seven points and five rebounds off the bench as sophomore guard Jeremiah Keene contributed five assists, five boards and four points.
 
The Saints were led by forward Ben Gahlert's 12 points and Ayo Dada's 11 points and team-high five assists.


 
Up Next…
LMU continues its three-game homestand Monday night when the Railsplitters welcome Mars Hill to Tex Turner Arena for an 8 p.m. tip-off. Next Wednesday, Jan. 27, LMU hosts Carson-Newman for an 8 p.m. tilt before heading to Wingate next Saturday, Jan. 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 2020-21 season.