GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- D'Mario Curry recorded 16 points to lead the No. 14 Lincoln Memorial University men's basketball team to a 73-52 South Atlantic Conference win over host Tusculum College Wednesday night at Pioneer Arena.

The Railsplitters (11-0, 3-0 SAC) remain undefeated on the season and continue their best start in school history. LMU shot 60 percent from the floor, including a sizzling 16-of-22 (72.7%) in the opening period to take a 38-20 at halftime.

Tusculum's Tommy Klempin scored a career-high 23 points, including 18 markers in the second half. Klempin finished the night shooting 8-of-11 from the floor and 7-of-8 from the free throw line. Justin Steigerwald added a dozen points, along with a game-high seven rebounds and four assists for the Pioneers (4-9, 1-2 SAC).

LMU's Desmond Johnson poured in 14 points and seven rebounds, while shooting 7-of-10 from the floor, while Cam Carden added 12 points, including a pair of three-pointers and went 6-of-6 from the foul line.

Lincoln Memorial led wire-to-wire, opening the contest with a 14-4 run, capped off by a Carden trey. Tusculum would cut the deficit back to eight at 18-10 following a Steigerwald jumper and a pair of free throws by Anton Tuz.

With LMU leading 28-19 with 4:20 remaining in the half, the Railsplitters would close out the period with a 10-1 spurt, including a pair of three-pointers by Brandon Armstrong and a steal and lay-up by Kierre Jordan as LMU led 38-20 at the break.

TC would get no closer than 16 points in the second half as LMU shined at the foul line on the night shooting 20-of-26 (76.9%), including 18-of-22 in the final 20 minutes (81.8%).

LMU won the rebounding battle by a 26-21 margin, far below its SAC leading +13.4 margin entering the fray (3rd in NCAA Division II).

Tusculum begins a three-game road swing on Saturday, starting with a 4 p.m. league tilt at Wingate University. LMU will be at Newberry College on Saturday for a 4 p.m. game.

- TC -