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The Lincoln Memorial men's basketball team is prepped to host Salem (WV) on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. in its final nonconference game of the regular season. This will be the first all-time meeting between the Railsplitters and Tigers.
 
Lincoln Memorial (15-1, 6-0 South Atlantic Conference) won its 14^th game in a row Saturday in an 84-76 triumph over in-state rival Carson-Newman. Close for much of the game, the duo of Me'Kell Burries (23 points) and Chase Rankin (19 points) propelled the hosts to a 15-point lead midway through the second half on their way to victory. With the win, Lincoln Memorial is the last undefeated team standing in SAC play.
 
The visiting Tigers enter with an 8-7 record playing as an independent following a 106-45 win over Penn State Greater Allegheny on Monday afternoon. Lincoln Memorial and Salem do not have any common opponents on their regular season schedules.
 
Lincoln Memorial was ranked No. 5 in both the National Association of Basketball Coaches and D2SIDA polls released on Jan. 10, which is the team's highest ranking in both polls this season.
 
RAILSPLITTER STRIKES (through games played Jan. 10)

• Lincoln Memorial leads the SAC in assists per game (20.3, fourth in Division II), field goal percentage (52.2, seventh), rebounding margin (+9.9, ninth), scoring margin (+19.7, sixth) and scoring offense (90.5 points per game, seventh) so far this season.
• Chase Rankin ranks second in the conference and fifth in Division II in total assists at 101, while his 6.3 assists per game rank 11^th nationally. The graduate guard's 2.66 assist-to-turnover ratio leads the SAC.
• Martez Brown's 133 total rebounds leads the league and ranks No. 28 in the country.
• Matthew Sells has made 43 3-pointers this season, good for fourth in the conference and 35^th in Division II. The sophomore guard's 45.7 percent shooting from distance ranks second in the league and No. 22 nationally.
• Along with being ranked No. 6 in the NABC Preseason Poll, the Railsplitters were picked to win the SAC with 143 points including 11 first place votes.
• Redshirt sophomore guard Me'Kell Burries, senior forward Jordan Guest and Rankin were all selected to the preseason All-SAC First Team.

SCOUTING SALEM: The Tigers are coming off a 2021-22 season when they went 20-7 and led NCAA Division II in 3-point field goal percentage (43.2) while ranking second in 3-pointers made per game with 11.9. This year's unit ranks No. 10 nationally in 3-point percentage defense (28.2), No. 13 in rebounds per game (41.53) and No. 29 in rebounding margin (+6.5).
 
Junior guard Stan Smith ranks 15^th in 3-pointers per game (3.2), 18^th in 3-point field goal percentage (46.2) and 16^th in total field goals (113) in Division II so far this season. Fellow junior guard Rodney Smith's 90.3 percent shooting at the free throw line ranks No. 17 nationally.
 
SAC Men's Basketball Standings (as of Jan. 11)
 
Mountain Division                Overall           Conference
Lincoln Memorial                  15-1                 6-0
Carson-Newman                     10-5                 4-1
Tusculum                                 8-5                   4-2
Emory & Henry                       10-4                 2-3
UVA Wise                                8-6                   1-4
Limestone                               5-8                   1-4
Mars Hill                                 3-10                 0-5
 
Piedmont Division                Overall           Conference
Catawba                                  9-4                   4-1
Wingate                                   9-5                   4-1
Coker                                      10-6                 4-2
Newberry                                 8-6                   1-3
Anderson                                4-10                 1-3
Lenoir-Rhyne                          6-7                   1-4
 
Up Next
The Railsplitters play at Anderson on Saturday at 4 p.m. in their first battle against a Piedmont Division foe this season.