Harrogate, TN -- Following a brief break to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday, the Lincoln Memorial men's basketball team was back in action at home on Black Friday, hosting the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears in a rematch of the 2024-25 South Atlantic Conference Championship to open conference play. The Railsplitters entered the game with a 2-2 record, while the Bears bolstered a 5-2 record, 

The first half was extremely competitive, with both teams throwing counter punches to combat runs from either offense. Lenoir-Rhyne took a slim lead in the early game before Lincoln Memorial took its first lead of the game 13-11 with just under 13-minutes remaining in the first half. However, the Bears responded with a 6-0 run to regain the advantage, 17-13. The Railsplitters cut the lead back to one with a three-pointer from Nate Mims, but Lenoir-Rhyne once again rattled off a 6-0 run to extend the lead to 23-16. The Bears attempted to separate, eventually jumping out to an eight-point lead, 35-27, their largest of the half, but the Railsplitters battled back, closing the first half on a 7-3 run to trail Lenoir-Rhyne 38-34 at the half. Lincoln Memorial forced Lenoir-Rhyne into nine first half turnovers, while only giving the ball away twice. However, the Bears dominated the interior, partly thanks to 7-footer Conrad Luczynski. The Railsplitters' bench outscored Lenoir-Rhyne's bench 17-10. 

The Bears started the second half on an 11-0 run to take their largest lead of the game to that point, 49-34, with 16:54 remaining in the game. The Railsplitters battled back, cutting the deficit to seven-points behind a pair of three-pointers from Armon Jarrard, 54-47. Lenoir-Rhyne once again regained a sizable advantage, 69-53, with 6:32 remaining, out scoring Lincoln Memorial 15-6 over a 4:30 span. The Railsplitters cut the score back to within eight points, 74-66, with less than three minutes remaining, but the Bears closed the game out scoring the Railsplitters 9-5 to secure an 83-71 victory.