Michigan
17-4, 6-2
Illinois
9-12, 0-7
Wolverines Cruise Past Illinois for Fourth Straight Win
1/20/2018 9:14:00 PM | Women's Basketball
» After falling behind 5-0 to start the game, U-M went on a 21-2 run that featured four points from Hallie Thome, five points from Nicole Munger, four points from Hailey Brown, six points from Katelynn Flaherty and a layup from Deja Church.
» Michigan held Illinois to just four points in the third quarter, the 14th time this season U-M has held an opponent to single digits in a period. Michigan did not allow more than 14 points in any quarter.
» Michigan's 17-4 record is the best mark through 21 games in school history.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Center)
Score: No. 19 Michigan 86, Illinois 42
Records: U-M (17-4, 6-2 B1G), Illinois (9-12, 0-7 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Tuesday, Jan. 24 -- vs. Michigan State (Crisler Center), 7 p.m.
• Watch: Illinois Postgame Report
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 19-ranked University of Michigan women's basketball team used a 21-2 run in the first quarter and never looked back, knocking off Illinois, 86-42, on Saturday evening (Jan. 20) inside Crisler Center. Michigan has won 17 of its first 21 games for the first time in program history.
U-M had four players score in double figures, led by senior Katelynn Flaherty's 27 points. She became the seventh Big Ten women's basketball player to score 2,500 career points, moving her total to 2,505 after her output against Illinois. Freshman Hailey Brown turned in her third double-double of the season, going for 17 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. Junior Hallie Thome had her second straight double-double, recording 13 points and 11 boards, with classmate Nicole Munger going for 14 points and a career-high five steals. Michigan shot 50 percent (33-for-66) from the floor and handed out 22 assists with 13 steals.
Michigan was down 5-0 early before Thome got the Wolverines on the board with an elbow jumper two minutes into the game. Brown followed with a pair of free throws and Michigan turned defense into offense on a Munger steal and score with 6:57 left in the period for a 6-5 lead. Munger followed up with the first of three triples on the night as part of a 9-0 run.
The run continued after an Illini bucket as Flaherty hit back-to-back triples, with freshman Deja Church following with a layup to force an Illini timeout at the 2:09 mark and Michigan ahead, 19-7. Thome capped the 21-2 run for the Wolverines with a layup with 1:47 on the clock to stake U-M a 21-7 lead.
Illinois scored five straight points to force a Michigan timeout with 52.4 left in the first quarter with Michigan's lead down to nine, 21-12. Flaherty hit a running shot just past half-court to end the first quarter, giving Michigan a 24-12 lead.
Michigan allowed just 12 points in the second quarter, taking a 37-24 lead into the locker room at the half.
It was all Maize and Blue in the third quarter as U-M outscored Illinois, 20-4, on the strength of eight points from Brown, six from Flaherty, four from Munger and two from Church. Michigan held the Illini without a point for 5:13 of the third quarter, leading by as many as 29 in the period.
Michigan's run continued over into the fourth quarter as the Wolverines went for 29 points on 12-for-18 shooting from the floor. Flaherty once again led the way with eight points in the final frame as U-M's lead grew to as many as 44 points in the win.
The Wolverines will complete a two-game homestand on Tuesday (Jan. 24), when they host Michigan State at 7 p.m. The game can be seen live on the Big Ten Network.
