ANDERSON, S.C. – A dominating 55-38 margin in rebounding and double-doubles from Megan Pittman (Liberty, Ky.) and Josey Harding (Middletown, Ohio) helped propel the #6/9 Lady Railsplitters to the 67-58 win at Anderson Wednesday evening in a battle of the top two teams in the South Atlantic Conference.

LMU improves their record to 14-0 on the season and 9-0 in the SAC with the win. They are one of only five unbeaten women's teams left in the NCAA Division II.

The Lady Railsplitters are ranked ninth in the latest WBCA / USA Today Coaches' Poll and sixth in the D2SIDA National Media Poll. They are also ranked first in the D2SIDA Southeast Region Media Poll with 60 points and all six first place votes. Anderson is ranked sixth in the region and are receiving votes in the coaches' poll.

Pittman scored 19 points to lead LMU in scoring. She also had 11 rebounds, two steals and two blocks in 38 minutes of action. Harding had 18 points and a game-high 23 rebounds, becoming the first player in LMU history to have three 20+ rebound games in their career. Shea Coker (Knoxville, Tenn.) added in 14 points, including a pair of key three-pointers.

Anderson was led by Jasmine Franklin, who had 11 points and five rebounds.

AU out-shot LMU 33.3%-to-29.2 percent from the field, but LMU held the advantage from three point range (25.0%-to-18.8%) and the free throw line (70.3%-to-60.7%). The Lady Railsplitters also had their most dominating rebounding performance of the season as they out-rebounded the Trojans 55-38 including an impressive 20 offensive rebounds to AU's nine. Those offensive rebounds translated into 15 second chance points for LMU.

LMU went out to the early five point lead, only to see Anderson battle back and take the early 8-7 lead mid-way through the first quarter. The Lady Railsplitters would tie the game 11-11 a few minutes later on a free throw by Sydnie Anderson (Cleveland, Tenn.), but a couple of possessions later AU's Franklin went 1-2 at the free throw line to give the Trojans the 12-11 lead at the end of the first stanza.

AU would take a 17-13 lead early in the second period, but then Karsen Sims (Gatlinburg, Tenn.) found Pittman open at the elbow and she buried the jumper and sparked a 9-0 LMU run. A pair of Heather Jankowy free throws cut the lead to 22-19 before Coker scored four points in quick succession to put the Lady Railsplitters up 26-19 with 3:56 remaining. Anderson managed to cut the LMU lead to three on three separate occasions before halftime, only to see LMU have an answer every time. LMU led 32-27 at the half.

After Pittman scored with 8:38 left in the third to give LMU the 34-27 lead, Anderson went on a 7-0 run to take the 35-34 lead on a three pointer by Bailey Sims. LMU would tie it up again on a Pittman free throw, but four seconds later Tania Eatmon gave the Trojans the lead yet again. After a couple of ties, Sims put LMU ahead 44-43 with 1:02 left. It looked like that would be the margin at the end of the third quarter but Coker buried a heavily contested three-pointer at the buzzer to give LMU the 47-43 lead.

Apart from a pair of AU baskets to tie the game at 47-47 with 9:16 remaining, the fourth quarter was pretty much all LMU as they closed out the game with a 20-11 run to claim the 67-58 win.

The Lady Railsplitters will return home to face Catawba Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. in the Tex Turner Arena. The Indians come into the game tied with Wingate and Anderson for second place in the SAC following a 59-51 loss at Wingate earlier tonight. Live stats, video and audio broadcast links for that game are available on www.lmurailsplitters.com.