EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - Jazmin Hill scored a career-high 25 points while Sydney Stahlberg and Raven Berry each recorded double-doubles as Southern Illinois University Edwardsville drove past Austin Peay 72-60 in women's college basketball Friday night at the Vadalabene Center.

It was SIUE's first win of the season, and it came in convincing fashion. The Cougars, 1-4, shot 46 percent from the field and picked up outstanding performances on offense and defense.

"I'm very proud of the team, and I'm happy they get to experience this because we have been on the other side too much," said SIUE Head Coach Amanda Levens.

Hill, a freshman point guard, was strong from the field, hitting 10 of 16 shots overall and 3 of 4 from three-point range.

Stahlberg recorded a career-high 20 points, 10 rebounds, six steals and four assists. Levens said the senior's play lifted the Cougars.

"Sydney is everything you can ask for in a basketball player -- tough, smart, and works her tail off for you," said Levens.

Levens noted Stahlberg played 35 minutes Friday, which showed her mental toughness.

"To score, rebound, and defend, it takes a lot of conditioning and a lot of toughness to play those types of minutes," she added.

Berry also was dominant in the paint as she hit 7 of 11 shots from the field and added a pair of blocks. The sophomore center ended the game with 18 points and 11 rebounds.

Austin Peay, 1-5, held an early four-point lead behind Whitney Hanley, who led the Governors with 20 points. SIUE took its first lead on a Berry layup at 12:43 and extended it to a five-point advantage on a three-pointer by Hill at 11:38. The Cougars would hold the lead the rest of the way.

After leading at the half 33-30, SIUE opened up the second half with a quick defensive stop. Stahlberg intercepted the opening inbound pass from APSU's Brooke Faulkner which later turned into a basket by Hill.

"I was really pleased with our start of the second half. The way we started that half was fantastic," Levens said.

SIUE went on an 11-0 run to start the second half and held a double-digit advantage for the most of the half. Austin Peay cut it to seven with on a basket at 8:21 by Dalila Thomas. The Cougars would score the next eight points to push the lead to 15 with five minutes to play.

The Cougars now have less than 48 hours to prepare for a Sunday game against Saint Louis. Tip-off time is 1 p.m. at the Vadalabene Center and will be shown on Charter Communications Channel 3 (CCIN).

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