Michigan
7-1,0-0Big Ten
Syracuse
4-4,0-0ACC
Wolverines Rally for OT Win Against Syracuse
12/5/2019 11:30:00 PM | Women's Basketball
» Michigan was down 10 points with 8:08 to go in the contest before closing on a 29-11 run throughout the rest of the fourth quarter and overtime.
» Kayla Robbins scored a career-best 23 points to go with six boards, Naz Hillmon had 16 points and seven boards and Hailey Brown went for 13 points to lead the offense.
» The Big Ten won the Big Ten/ACC Challenge for the first time since its inception. Michigan's win was the ninth for the Big Ten in the challenge, the most ever by the conference.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Center)
Event: Big Ten/ACC Challenge
Score: #24 Michigan 84, Syracuse 76 (OT)
Records: U-M (7-1), SU (4-4)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Dec. 8 -- vs. Oakland (Crisler Center), 2 p.m.
• Kornacki: Protecting the Block M in Prime Time
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Trailing by 10 with 8:08 remaining in regulation, the No. 24-ranked University of Michigan women's basketball team outscored Syracuse, 29-11, the rest of the way in an 84-76 overtime win over Syracuse in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Thursday (Dec. 5) at Crisler Center.
The Wolverines had four players score in double figures, led by senior Kayla Robbins, who had a career-best 23 points, six rebounds and two steals. Sophomore Naz Hillmon added 16 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals, with senior Akienreh Johnson chipping in 13 points and four steals. Junior Hailey Brown rounded out Michigan's double-figure scorers, going for 12 in the contest.
Syracuse kept widening its lead in the fourth quarter, grabbing a 65-55 lead with 8:08 to go. Michigan hung around, eventually going on a 6-0 run, finished off by Robbins' layup, to shrink the deficit to 66-63 with 4:55 to go in regulation. Michigan continued to push, taking a two-point lead when sophomore Amy Dilk split a pair at the line with 30 seconds left. Syracuse made two free throws with 5.8 seconds to go, and Michigan's final attempt did not fall and the game went to overtime.
It was all Michigan in the extra session, as the Wolverines scored first and never looked back. Syracuse hit a triple with 3:23 left to get within one point, but U-M countered with a 9-0 run to keep control en route to the eight-point win.
The Wolverines and the Orange played a back-and-forth first quarter, with Syracuse heating up from beyond the arc, making five triples in the first 10 minutes. Michigan used 12 points in the paint with four each from Hillmon and freshman Izabel Varejão to take a slight 22-21 lead into the first break.
A 7-0 spurt from Syracuse pushed the Orange lead to five points, 37-32, to force a U-M timeout with 2:09 remaining in the second quarter. The teams traded points the rest of the way as Syracuse's five-point lead held up at halftime, 41-36.
Robbins scored four straight points to start the third quarter, cutting the Cuse lead to just one point (41-40) just 1:03 into the period.
The Orange hit three straight triples, taking its largest lead of the contest (53-45) with 4:59 left in the third. Michigan answered with six straight points, capped by a triple from freshman Michelle Sidor at the top of the key to get back within a basket, 53-51, with 4:13 on the clock.
Syracuse closed the quarter by scoring six of the final seven points for a 59-52 lead after three quarters.
U-M will continue its four-game homestand Sunday (Dec. 8) when they host Oakland at 2 p.m., and the game will be streamed live on BTN Plus.
