HARROGATE, Tenn. – Following its third-straight 100-point outing, the second-ranked Lincoln Memorial University men's basketball team wraps a three-game homestand Wednesday night in B. Frank "Tex" Turner Arena when it hosts Anderson University for an 8 p.m. tip-off. Seeking their 39th-straight victory, the Railsplitters (6-0, 4-0 SAC) will be attempting to claim their 27th consecutive South Atlantic Conference win versus the visiting Trojans (1-1, 1-1 SAC).
 
How to Follow
Wednesday night's game will be streamed live via SAC Live on Stretch Internet with the voice of the Railsplitters, Rusty Peace, providing play-by-play of the contest. Live statistics of the conference matchup can be followed by visiting LMURailsplitters.com. As usual, in-game updates will be available on LMU Railsplitter athletics' official Twitter account, @LMURailsplitter.
 
Presented by Appalachian Refrigeration, Holiday Tire & Service and Harrogate Collision, Wednesday will be the first basketball doubleheader LMU has hosted since both the men's and women's programs' season openers on Saturday, Nov. 21. Like all college basketball teams across the nation, the Railsplitters and Lady Railsplitters have had to deal with the unique circumstances of competing amidst the COVID-19 global pandemic. The women's game is slated to begin at 5:30 p.m. in Harrogate.
 
Limited Attendance
Due to the ongoing public health crisis of the COVID-19 global pandemic, LMU Athletics has a revised attendance policy for home basketball games during the 2020-21 season. Tex Turner Arena will have a limited capacity of 10% in an effort of promoting and prioritizing the health and safety of student-athletes and game day personnel. The following groups of individuals are the only permitted attendees for home LMU athletic events held inside Tex Turner Arena: student-athlete pass list designees, L Club members, 50 students, dignitaries and game day personnel. In line with LMU's COVID-19 policies and protocols, specific guidelines have been outlined to keep the health and safety of the LMU community the athletic department's top priority. For LMU Athletics' complete COVID-19 game day policies, please click here.
 
Near the Top
LMU remains ranked second in the nation with the fourth National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Top 25 regular season poll of 2020-21 announced Tuesday afternoon. The Railsplitters have held the No. 2 spot in the NABC Top 25 since Jan. 28, 2020, and was also ranked second in the preseason D2SIDA Media Poll. After earning the top seed and being selected as the host of the 2020 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Southeast Regional Championship, LMU was picked as the unanimous No. 1 team in the preseason D2SIDA Southeast Region Poll. With the challenges of COVID-19, five of the nation's top 25 programs still have yet to play a game this season. Several teams were removed from the NABC Top 25 following the announcement that they would no longer be eligible for the 2021 Division II Basketball Championship due to delayed season starts. The Railsplitters have spent a total 140 weeks in the national polls since December of 2010.
 
Unsettling the Pioneers
Following a 14-day holiday break from competition, LMU returned to the hardwood over the weekend and looked to be in fine form. Securing their second top-25 win of 2020-21, the Railsplitters downed 24th-ranked Tusculum 103-82 inside Tex Turner Arena Saturday afternoon. Starting the new year off on a high note, LMU outrebounded the top rebounding team in the league 38-29 and was relentless for all 40 minutes of action. With 48 points in the paint, the Railsplitters shot 60.3 percent for the afternoon and scored 59 second-half points. Fueled by a career-high 16-point scoring performance from redshirt sophomore guard/forward Xavier Bledson, LMU got a cool 28 points from redshirt senior guard Devin Whitfield and another 17 points from junior starting point guard Julius Brown. Forcing 21 Pioneer turnovers, the Railsplitters scored 31 points off of Tusculum's miscues and earned 36 free-throw attempts. Behind 64.3 percent second-half shooting, including 50 percent from three-point distance, LMU outpaced the Pioneers in a high-scoring final 20 minutes of play. Despite Tusculum scoring 52 second-half points, the Railsplitters were able to build upon a 14-point 44-30 halftime advantage after a momentum-shifting 7-2 run over the closing two minutes of the first half.
 
Torching the Nets
LMU's offense has been nearly unstoppable over its last four games, averaging 103.5 points on 61.5 percent shooting. Going 56-for-119 (47.1 percent) from beyond the arc, the Railsplitters have averaged 26.5 assists by assisting on 106 of LMU's 150 made field goals (70.7 percent). Shooting at least 60 percent for four-straight outings, the Railsplitters have been even more impressive in the second half as of late. LMU has shot 68.1 percent in the second half and has gone 57.6 percent from long range in the final 20 minutes of play over its last four contests.
 
Whitfield Continues to Impress
Despite missing the season opener and playing a limited role at Coker (Nov. 24) in his first game of 2020-21, Whitfield has been awe-inspiring. The Lipscomb, Alabama (McAdory HS), native has recorded four consecutive 20-plus-point games behind a ridiculous 62.9 percent shooting clip. On Monday morning, Whitfield collected his second-straight SAC AstorTurf Player of the Week honor after scoring 20 of his game-high 28 points in the second half and grabbing a season-best seven rebounds in Saturday afternoon's 103-82 rout of 24th-ranked Tusculum. He went 10-for-14 from the field against the visiting Pioneers, was a perfect 10-for-10 from two-point range and connected on all five of his free-throw attempts. Prior to the Christmas break, Whitfield was tabbed Tennessee Sports Writers Association (TSWA) Player of the Week on Dec. 22 after scoring a season-high 32 points in the Railsplitters' 109-62 non-conference home blowout of Campbellsville University Harrodsburg. In his last four performances, Whitfield has averaged 26.5 points while shooting 44.4 percent from deep and going 12-for-13 (92.3 percent) at the foul line.
 
All LMU Does is Win
Coming off its best season in terms of winning percentage (.970), LMU pushed its longest win streak in program history to 38 Saturday with the triumph over Tusculum. The 38-straight victories are also the most consecutive by a SAC team and represent the longest active winning streak in all of college basketball. The Railsplitters have won 26-straight conference games after going an unblemished 22-0 in 2019-20 for its third undefeated league season in the last five years. Finishing 32-1 overall last year, LMU has dropped just one game in the last 670 days and 431 days have passed since the Railsplitters' last loss.
 
Preseason Accolades
Both Whitfield, the 2020 SAC Tournament MVP, and redshirt junior guard Cameron Henry, the reigning SAC Defensive Player of the Year, were selected as preseason All-Americans by Basketball Times. The all-region tandem also landed a spot on the preseason All-SAC First Team and features two of the top returning players in all of Division II basketball. Whitfield has scored 1,651 points in his collegiate career and currently leads LMU in scoring (22.0 PPG), while Henry led the conference in steals (71) and was second in rebounding (8.0 RPG) in 2019-20. Henry leads the Railsplitters in steals (2.7 SPG) this season and is second in both scoring (13.5 PPG) and assists (5.2 APG).
 
Versus the Trojans
Wednesday night will be the 25th all-time meeting between the Trojans of Anderson and LMU with the Railsplitters holding a 17-7 lead in the series. LMU has gone 8-4 against the Trojans in Harrogate and has won the last 15 games between to the two teams. With a trio of overtime affairs in the series, Anderson's last win over the Railsplitters came on Nov. 26, 2013, inside Tex Turner Arena when the Trojans pulled out an 84-79 extra-period triumph. Two seasons ago on Dec. 12, 2018, LMU defeated Anderson in a 102-101 double-overtime thriller in South Carolina when Rhondi Hackett finished a game-winning put-back layup with 0.4 seconds remaining. Head coach Josh Schertz is 17-6 versus the Trojans.
 
About LMU Basketball
The second-winningest Division II program of the 2010's (.845), the Railsplitters have won 13 total SAC titles since 2011. Selected as the top seed and host of the Division II Men's Basketball Southeast Regional Championship four of the last six years, LMU has ended the season ranked either No. 1 or No. 2 three times in the last five seasons. The only school in Division II to have reached 30 wins in five of the last six years, the Railsplitters are one of only four Division II programs to have recorded 20 wins or more for 11-straight seasons. LMU has notched at least 25 wins and earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament nine of the last 10 seasons. Inside Tex Turner Arena the Railsplitters have registered the second-highest home court winning percentage in Division II basketball since 2010-11, going an impressive 156-11 (.934). The 156 home victories are the most among Division II programs in the last 11 years as LMU has posted three perfect seasons in Harrogate during that time.
 
About Coach Schertz
Since taking over the Railsplitter basketball program, coach Schertz has amassed an astonishing 324-65 record over 13 seasons. Schertz' career winning percentage of .833 is the second-highest of any head coach in men's college basketball at any NCAA level (minimum 10 seasons). He also ranks second among active head coaches with at least 10 years at the helm – Jim Crutchfield, Nova Southeastern (.841) – after passing Gonzaga head coach Mark Few (.831) in 2019-20. On Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020, coach Schertz reached his 300th career victory with a 76-64 conference home win over UVA Wise. Reaching the 300-win milestone in only 365 games as a head coach, the seven-time SAC Coach of the Year owns the second-most SAC victories with a phenomenal 204-36 (.850) league record.
 
About Anderson
Led by sixth-year head coach Jeff Brookman, the Trojans have played just two games thus far in 2020-21. Anderson began its campaign on Nov. 21 with a 90-78 loss at Catawba before having a 44-day break from on-court competition due to COVID-19 circumstances both within its program and the Trojans' scheduled opponents. Anderson returned to game action Monday by earning an impressive 103-74 home win over first-year SAC member Limestone. Preseason All-SAC First Team pick Quin Nottingham, a 6-foot senior guard, leads the Trojans in scoring (16.5 RPG), while 2020 SAC Freshman of the Year Crosby James II, a 6-foot sophomore guard, leads the team in assists (3.0 APG). Redshirt junior 6-1 guard Kai Rivers is averaging 11.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game and 6-8 senior forward Josh Livingston 14 points per outing. Picked to finish sixth in the conference race this season, Anderson earned the No. 5 seed for the 2020 SAC Pilot Flying J Tournament after going 12-10 in league play. Finishing 17-12 overall, the Trojans' 2019-20 journey ended with an 86-65 loss at fourth-seeded Tusculum in the SAC Tournament quarterfinals.  
 
Looking Ahead
LMU hits the road for a pair of games at Lenoir-Rhyne Saturday and at Limestone next Wednesday, Jan. 13. Tip-off between the Railsplitters and the Bears Saturday is set for 4:30 p.m. from inside Shuford Memorial Gymnasium. Next week's tilt in Gaffney, South Carolina, is slated for 8 p.m. The Saturday, Jan. 16 home matchup with Mars Hill has been postponed due to COVID-19 circumstances with the Lion program.  
 
LMU L Club
Register to become an L Club member today. 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.  
 
Stay Up to Date
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.