Harrogate, TN -- The Lincoln Memorial men's basketball team closed the regular season in spectacular fashion on Saturday afternoon, delivering a dominant 108-66 victory over Newberry College at Tex Turner Arena. Celebrating Senior Day in front of a home crowd in Harrogate, the Railsplitters honored senior Nate Mims prior to tip-off for his time and contributions to the Lincoln Memorial men's basketball program before showcasing their most efficient offensive performance of the year-to-date. The triple-digit effort marked the second-highest point total for the team this season, securing a momentum-building win as they head into postseason play.
The contest was defined by a blistering shooting display from the opening tip, particularly during a first half where the Railsplitters could seemingly not miss. Armon Jarrard sparked the initial surge, finishing the game with 19 points on an exceptionally efficient 8-of-10 shooting performance, while also leading the team in assists with six. Walter Campbell was equally lethal from the floor, contributing 17 points and leading the physical play in the paint. The perimeter attack was spearheaded by Jayden Spearman, who went 5-of-7 from beyond the arc to score all 15 of his points from downtown.
Lincoln Memorial's depth was on full display as the lead continued to swell throughout the afternoon. Nate Mims matched Spearman with 15 points and provided a steady presence on the glass with four rebounds. EJ Smith orchestrated the offense effectively, chipping in 14 points while distributing five assists and recording a pair of steals. The Railsplitters' bench also made significant contributions to the rout, led by Emmanuel James, who secured a near double-double with 12 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
As the second half progressed, the Railsplitters maintained their intensity to prevent any hope of a comeback. Ashton Pennamon provided a spark with seven points and three assists, while the closing minutes allowed for more of the roster to find the score sheet. Sawyer Thompson, Drew Lewis, and PJ Noles combined for eight points, and late free throws from Dallas Kendall and Ty Glasper pushed the final tally to 108. With a final shooting line of 40-of-58 made field goals and 16-of-24 three-pointers, posting 69% and 67% marks from the floor and beyond the arc respectively. Lincoln Memorial has paired two of its best offensive showings into back-to-back outings in the final two games of the season and seems to be getting hot at the right time as the conference tournament begins next week. As of press time, Lincoln Memorial is a presumptive 4-seed in the conference tournament with a couple of games awaiting final scores for definitive confirmation.
