EDWARDSVILLE, Ill -- Ash Yacoubou scored a career-high 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting and grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds to help Saint Louis overcome second-half rallies by SIU-Edwardsville for a 70-60 win on Wednesday night.

Mike Crawford scored 15 points, Milik Yarbrough scored 12 with 10 rebounds and Miles Reynolds added 11 points for the Billikens, who are off to a 2-0 start for the third-straight season.

Trailing 32-25 at halftime, the rallying Cougars took their third lead after the break, 48-47, on Carlos Anderson's free throw. Austin Gillmann ended the surge with a 3-pointer that tied it at 50 and sparked a 10-1 run the Billkens rode to the end.

The Cougars (1-1) led 19-14 after Anderson's free throw, but Reynolds hit a layup to start a 17-2 run and Saint Louis led at the break.

Burak Eslik scored 15 for the Cougars, Yemi Makanjuola and Anderson had 13 each, and Jalen Henry, 11.