Michigan
Rutgers
Michigan Runs Winning Streak to Seven with Victory over Rutgers
2/21/2019 10:56:00 PM | Women's Basketball
» Michigan picked up its seventh straight win, the third-longest win streak during Big Ten play in school history. U-M last won seven straight during the 1999-2000 season.
» The Wolverines took the lead with 7:07 left in the second quarter on a bucket from Hailey Brown and never trailed again, leading by as many as 10 in the contest.
» U-M had four players in double figures in Naz Hillmon (21), Nicole Munger (17), Hallie Thome (16) and Deja Church (11).
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Center)
Score: Michigan 86, Rutgers 76
Records: U-M (19-9, 10-6 B1G), Rutgers (18-8, 10-5 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Feb. 24 -- at Michigan State (East Lansing, Mich.), 2 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's basketball team took the lead with 7:07 left in the second quarter and never trailed the rest of the way in an 86-76 win over Rutgers on Thursday evening (Feb. 21) at Crisler Center. It was Michigan's seventh straight win, its longest streak in conference action since the 1999-2000 season.
The Wolverines had four players score in double figures, led by freshman Naz Hillmon's 21 points. Senior Nicole Munger went for 17 points with classmate Hallie Thome turning in 16 points. Sophomore Deja Church rounded out Michigan's double-digit scorers with 11 points. Junior Akienreh Johnson chipped in a career-best seven assists as Michigan totaled 20 helpers on the night.
Michigan shot 53.6 percent (30-for-56) from the floor in the contest en route to 86 points, the most points Rutgers has allowed this season. U-M also held a 35-29 advantage on the glass, led by Thome's eight. Hillmon added seven and Munger grabbed five.
After a back-and-forth first quarter, Rutgers hit a triple to start the second quarter to regain a two-point lead. A pair of free throws from Church, followed by a layup from sophomore Hailey Brown at the 7:07 mark pushed Michigan's lead back to two, 23-21.
The Wolverines led by eight, 34-26, on a Church bank shot with 3:06 to go before the half, but Rutgers closed on a 10-4 run for a 38-36 U-M advantage at the break.
Rutgers closed to within four points, 55-51, on a three-point play with 3:31 left in the third quarter. Michigan came back with four straight points on a pair of Johnson free throws and a junior Kayla Robbins layup to force a Rutgers timeout with 2:12 left.
The Scarlet Knights once again whittled Michigan's lead to five points, 63-58, with 7:11 to go after converting a turnover for a layup. Hillmon came back with consecutive buckets for a 67-58 lead to once again force a Rutgers timeout with 6:15 to go.
Michigan put the game away on a Thome three-point play at the 3:08 mark to push the Wolverine advantage back to eight, 74-66. The Scarlet Knights got within six points with a bucket on its next possession, but Johnson found Church in transition with 2:29 left to keep the lead at eight.
Rutgers got within seven down the stretch but could not get any closer in the 10-point Maize and Blue win.
U-M will wrap up its season series against Michigan State when the Wolverines travel to East Lansing to take on the Spartans on Sunday (Feb. 24). The game is set for 2 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPN2.
