APSU Women’s Basketball
Edwardsville, IL – Junior guard Whitney Hanley was a one-woman show, but it was not enough as Austin Peay women’s basketball team dropped a 72-60 non-conference decision to SIU Edwardsville, Friday night at the Vadalabene Center.
Hanley recorded the Lady Govs first double-double this season, leading the team with 20 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in her 39-minute outing. She was 8-of-19 from the field, including 2-of-9 from three-point range.
However, Austin Peay (1-5) could not shake a lack of production from its frontcourt, which was led by senior Dalila Thomas’ 12-point effort. The Lady Govs were dominated in the paint where the Cougars posted a 34-24 advantage. SIUE sophomore center Raven Berry led the effort with season-bests in scoring (18) and rebounding (11).
Austin Peay got off to a quick start and led 6-2 four minutes into the contest. But SIU Edwardsville (1-4) scored 13 of the game’s next 15 points to take a 13-8 lead with 11:38 remaining and would not trail again. The Lady Govs would keep the margin in single digits the rest of the half and closed back within two points, 30-28, with 36 seconds remaining but entered halftime trailing 33-30.
The Cougars scored the second half’s first 11 points to put the game out of reach. Austin Peay went without a field goal until sophomore Meghan Bussabarger banked in a layup with 15:06 remaining to end the drought, APSU trailing by a 44-32 margin.
The Lady Govs would make one valiant effort to cut the deficit, piecing together a 12-5 run. Senior guards Salem Richardson and Brooke Faulkner made consecutive field goals – Faulkner’s from three-point range – to cut the lead to seven points, 53-46 with 9:52 left.
But SIU Edwardsville ended the threat with eight straight points to build a 15-point, 63-48, advantage and they would not be threatened again.
The Cougars’ Sydney Stahlberg also filled out the box score, scoring a career-high 20 points, grabbing 10 rebounds, dishing out four assists and grabbing a career-high six steals. Jazmin Hill led SIUE’s scoring effort with a career-high 25 point outing.
Austin Peay continues its seven-game road trip with a 2:05pm, Sunday contest at Southern Illinois in Carbondale.
