SALISBURY, N.C. - With senior guard Sierra Simpson filling up the box score with a team-high in points and assists, Anderson University women's basketball claimed its first win at Catawba in over five years with a 70-59 decision over the Lady Indians in South Atlantic Conference action Saturday afternoon at Goodman Gym.

With the victory, the Trojans record their 12th straight victory and improve to 19-3 on the season with a 16-2 mark in league play, as they avenge an earlier-season setback at home to Catawba on Jan. 3. With the setback, the Lady Indians fall to 14-9 on the season and 11-7 in the SAC.

Simpson led the attack with a season-high 19 points while adding seven rebounds, four assists and three steals in a team-high 37 minutes. Simpson made six field goals and finished 7-for-8 from the free throw line on the day, as the senior scored 13 of her 19 points in the final 20 minutes.

Following the guard was classmate Lesley Woods, as she buried five 3-pointers en route to her 17 points on the afternoon. Woods closed the contest with a 5-for-8 performance from behind the arc, marking the first time the guard has made five 3-pointers since AU's win over Mars Hill on Jan. 14. With Woods' 17 points, the senior duo combined for 36 of the team's 70 points, as the pair was the only two Trojans to score in double figures.

Catawba was led by Terri Rogers with 16 points and 16 rebounds, while Bri Johnson added 14 and Zhaquondalee Greer dropped in 10 points. The trio was responsible for over 67 percent of the Catawba's scoring the night, as the Lady Indians shot 37.9 percent (22-for-58) from the field.

In a back-and-forth first half, the teams played to six ties and nine lead changes through the first 20 minutes. After Catawba's Johnson tied the score at 16-16 with a jumper just before the 10-minute mark, Anderson scored the next four points with jumpers from Katie Davis and Simpson. The back-to-back field goals handed AU's its largest lead of four with 8:30 remaining.

Not to be out-done, Catawba responded with two consecutive buckets to even the score at 20-20. The teams traded one-point advantages over the course of six minutes until Woods broke the trend with a 3-pointer at the 1:42 mark and gave the Trojans a four-point lead.

Following a Greer lay-in on the opposite end, Monroe sank a jumper and set the halftime score of 32-28. The Trojan defense forced 12 turnovers and scored 10 points off those miscues, while the AU bench, led by junior Madison Floyd with five points, out-scored the Indian bench, 11-8.

Anderson maintained its lead for the opening moments of the second half, until a trey from Johnson evened the score for the seventh time in the game at 39-39 with 14:24 left. The 3-pointer was followed by another trey from Emma Ucinski to hand Catawba its largest lead of the second half. Facing the deficit, AU bounced back and tied the score on a pair of free throws with Simpson, making the score 43-43.

After Catawba's Chole Bully made two free throws to give the home side a two-point advantage, sophomore Heather Jankowy sank a 3-pointer to give AU a lead it would not relinquish. The trey began a streak of three straight 3-pointers, as Woods recorded two straight and gave AU a five-point lead at 52-47.

Catawba brought the deficit to three with another Ucinski 3-pointer with six minutes to play, but AU countered with a 7-0 run capped off by a Woods 3-pointer, putting the visitors ahead at 65-55, marking Anderson's first double-figure advantage of the contest.

After Rogers made two free throws, the eight-point deficit would be the closest Catawba would come, as Anderson made four straight free throws in the final two minutes to seal the conference victory.

"This was a great road win for our program," Anderson head coach Jimmy Garrity said. "We knew going in that we had not won at Catawba in a long time and I was really proud of the way we responded to that challenge. We did an excellent job defensively by holding Catawba to just 59 points and offensively, we did a great job taking care of the ball with just nine turnovers. We made plays and converted from the free throw line down the stretch."

Anderson continues its conference schedule on Wednesday when it returns home to square off against Carson-Newman. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.