HARROGATE, Tenn. - The 23rd-ranked Railsplitters (6-2, 2-1 SAC) used a 15-0 first-half run to seize control and never looked back in a 115-74 beatdown of the Coker Cobras (4-3, 1-1 SAC) in South Atlantic Conference men's basketball action on Saturday evening, Dec. 3, at Tex Turner Arena.
Lincoln Memorial made a number of early turnovers against Coker's press and allowed the Cobras to hang around through the first 10 minutes, but the Railsplitters settled in after that shaky start and blew things open by outscoring the visitors from Hartsville, S.C. 92-53 over the final 30 minutes. "We did a really good job in spurts when we handled the pressure," LMU head coach Josh Schertz said. "Once we started taking care of the ball a little better and guys got acclimated to the physicality, we were able to take advantage of numbers. The key to the game in our mind was to play with poise. I thought for the most part we did a really good job of having poise and executing." After getting past the press, the Railsplitters got whatever they wanted offensively. Lincoln Memorial shot 62 percent from the field, converting 49 of its 79 shots, which are the fourth-most made shots in a game in program history. That included a gaudy 25-for-36 effort in the Railsplitters' 60-point first half, good for a 69.4 percent clip. Seven players scored double-figures for the Railsplitters. Emanuel Terry (pictured) of Enterprise, Ala., led that group with 19 points on 9-for-13 shooting to go along with eight rebounds and two blocks. Cornelius Taylor (Claxton, Ga.) had 15 points, three rebounds and three assists, while Paul Woodson (Cincinnati, Ohio) contributed 14 points in 15 minutes off the bench on a perfect 7-for-7 effort from the floor. Dorian Pinson (Greenville, S.C.), Trevon Shaw (St. Helena Island, S.C.) and Chris Perry (Bartow, Fla.) added 13 points apiece. Perry also chipped in nine rebounds and two blocks. Deshawn Patterson (Lenoir, N.C.) posted 11 points and a career-high seven assists. Luquon Choice (Laurens, S.C.) was limited to eight points, but had 10 rebounds, two assists and two steals. The Railsplitters absolutely dominated the interior against the undersized Cobras, outrebounding Coker 60-33 while posting a massive 78-28 advantage on points in the paint. "We knew we had a size advantage," Schertz said. "We were able to attack with numbers and obviously having guys like Emanuel Terry and Chris Perry behind the press give you a chance to have guys on the back end of the press that can finish. That was huge. And in general, in the halfcourt we really made a concerted effort to try to throw it in." The Railsplitters have now won three straight games and all three of those games have been decided by at least 41 points. Following the successive losses to Alabama-Huntsville and Carson-Newman, Coach Schertz likes the way his team has responded and what he's seen over the last week and a half. "I feel like we are heading in the right direction. Our practices have been a little bit better and our focus has been a little bit better. Energy and defense has been better and our rebounding numbers are looking more like they need to for us to be a good team. The key for us is going to continue to build good habits. This group is going to be about growth. We're much better than we were in November and hopefully we'll be a lot better in January." Next Up The Railsplitters make a quick turnaround to host the one-win Brevard Tornados at 8 p.m. on Monday night, Dec. 5, inside of Tex Turner Arena in South Atlantic Conference action. Quick Hits -The 115 points were the most for the Railsplitters since they scored 120 in a 36-point win at Mars Hill in January 2016. -Lincoln Memorial's bench outscored Coker's second unit 47-22, led by 14 points from Woodson, 13 from Shaw and 11 from Patterson. -LMU improved to 7-0 all-time against Coker with Saturday's win.
LMU Women Roll Over Coker 83-62
The 20th-ranked Lady Railsplitters started the game with an 8-0 run and never looked back as they pounded Coker 83-62 in South Atlantic Conference action Saturday afternoon, Dec. 3. With the win, LMU improves to 8-0 on the season and 3-0 in the South Atlantic Conference. The 8-0 start is the best in the program's modern era. The last time a LMU women's basketball team started out 8-0 was the 1940-41 season. Shea Coker (Knoxville, Tenn.) led the team in scoring for the third time in the past four games as she had 20 points to lead all scorers. Megan Pittman (Liberty, Ky.) had 13 points and 13 rebounds while Karsen Sims (Gatlinburg, Tenn.) chipped in 12 points and five assists. Josey Harding (Middletown, Ohio) added in 10 rebounds. The Lady Railsplitters finish up their three-game SAC home stand on Monday when they host Brevard. The Tornados come into the game with a 4-1 record, having lost their first game of the season earlier today when they fell at Lenoir-Rhyne 71-37. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. in the Tex Turner Arena.
LMU Athletics Photo
