NEWBERRY, S.C. - Led by seniors Lesley Woods and Sierra Simpson's combined 34 points, Anderson University women's basketball fended off Newberry, 64-59, in a matchup of unbeaten South Atlantic Conference teams Saturday afternoon at Eleazer Arena.

With the victory, the Trojans move to 4-0 in conference play for the first time since moving to the SAC prior to the start of the 2010-11 season. Overall, the Black and Gold move to 5-1 to begin the year, matching last year's start to the season. The Wolves, who opened the season with five straight victories, have dropped their last three games, moving to 5-3 overall.

Woods posted a game-high 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting, headlined by four made 3-pointers. With the four treys, Woods moved into fourth place by herself on the all-time 3-pointers made list in program history, passing current Volunteer Assistant Coach Amanda Parris with 167. Simpson followed the sharpshooter with 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting, while also adding four rebounds and five assists. Simpson's four rebounds ties her for ninth on the all-time rebounding list, as she comes even with former standout, Lateshia Williams.

Sophomore forward Alexis Dillard added seven rebounds, including four on the offensive side, while Woods, Jennifer Monroe and Nakia Young each added six. As a team, Anderson out-rebounded the home side, 47-36, as the Trojans grabbed 18 offensive rebounds.

Anderson got off to its slowest start to a game this season, as it went 1-for-11 from the field in the opening four minutes of the contest. The Wolves took full advantage of the cold shooting and took their largest advantage of the game of nine with 12:58 remaining in the first half with a 16-7 lead following a pair of free throws from Newbery's Nicola Handreck.

Facing the deficit, AU scored the next two baskets as sophomore Bailey Sims and Young knocked down consecutive jumpers, pushing the score to 16-11 with just under 12 minutes remaining. Anderson would cut the Wolf lead to five once again at the 8:56 mark when Monroe split a pair of free throws.

Facing a deficit throughout the opening moments of the first half, Anderson eventually evened the score at 21-21 when Dillard dropped in a put-back at the 6:34 mark. The lay-in was the second made field goal of an eventual 9-0 run, handing the Trojans a lead they would not relinquish for the remainder of the game.

The home side answered the spurt with back-to-back lay-ins from Handreck and Emily Perry, cutting the AU lead to 26-25. Not to be outdone, Anderson's Woods countered with her only first-half 3-pointer, followed by a lay-in from Simpson, taking a 31-25 lead. Newberry's Haylee Lepaio closed the opening 20 minutes with a lay-in for two of her eventual 14 points, sending the score to 31-27 at the halftime break.

Anderson continued to set the tone in the opening moments of the second period, extending its lead to double figures with 13:45 remaining when Woods sank another trey, pushing the score to 42-31. With just under 12 minutes left, AU took its second 11-point advantage when Young drained a corner trey for her first made 3-pointer this season.

Newberry bounced back following the Young 3-pointer, as it scored the next seven points beginning with a Zara Pearson 3-pointer for three of her 11 points on the day. With a three-point lead at 45-42, Woods gave the Trojans a much-needed 3-pointer from the wing, giving the visitors a six-point advantage.

AU would go up eight when Woods drove to the basket for a lay-in at the eight-minute mark, marking the visitors' largest lead for the remainder of the game. Newberry would out-score the Black and Gold 15-7 in the next seven minutes, highlighted by 3-pointers from Pearson and Perry, as the Wolves tied the score at 57-57 with a minute to play.

Clutch foul shooting from the Trojans proved to be the difference, as Anderson went 7-of-8 from the line in the final 50 seconds, as the Wolves managed just one made field goal in the final minute. Simpson went 4-of-4 in the span, while Woods followed Simpson's four straight free throws with two of her own, putting the game out of reach.

Entering the game as the conference's last ranked free throw shooting, Anderson closed Saturday's game 14-of-20 (70 percent) from the stripe, marking their highest percentage for a game since making 5-of-6 at Limestone in late November.

AU steps away from conference play when it returns to action on Saturday when it begins a two-game homestand with Peach Belt Conference opponent, Georgia College, Tip-off from the Abney Athletic Center is scheduled for 2 p.m.