Michigan
Michigan State
Wolverines Fall at Michigan State
2/24/2019 5:28:00 PM | Women's Basketball
» U-M closed within five points with 4:27 remaining but could get no closer. Michigan battled from behind all game, trailing by as many as 13 in the game.Â
» Freshman Naz Hillmon tallied her seventh double-double of the season with a career-high 27 points to go with 11 rebounds. Senior Nicole Munger was Michigan's other double-figure scorer with 14 points.
» Michigan has one regular-season game remaining, hosting Wisconsin on March 3.
Site: East Lansing, Mich. (Breslin Center)
Score: Michigan State 74, Michigan 64
Records: U-M (19-10, 10-7 B1G), MSU (18-9, 8-8 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, March 3 -- vs. Wisconsin (Crisler Center), 2 p.m.
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's basketball team closed within five points with 4:27 to go but could get no closer, falling 74-64 to Michigan State on Sunday afternoon (Feb. 24) at the Breslin Center.
Freshman Naz Hillmon tallied her seventh double-double of the season, finishing with a career-high 27 points on 11-for-13 to go with 11 rebounds. Senior Nicole Munger joined her in double figures, going for 14 points on the strength of four first-half triples. The Wolverines battled turnover issues (25) and foul problems (26) all game, with two players fouling out. Michigan totaled 21 assists on the day, with freshman Amy Dilk leading the charge with six.
Michigan State started the game on a 7-0 run, forcing a Michigan timeout with 7:52 on the first-quarter clock. The run continued after the timeout as MSU eventually led 9-0 before Church hit a pair of free throws to get Michigan on the board with 6:35 remaining in the first period.
The free throws ignited a 13-1 run for Michigan that featured four points from Hillmon, four from sophomore Deja Church, three from Munger and a layup from junior Kayla Robbins. Michigan led for 34 seconds in the quarter before an MSU triple at the 3:24 mark of the quarter erased the Wolverine lead.
MSU held a 22-18 after the first quarter and scored the first five points of the second to extend its lead to nine, 27-18, just 1:12 into the frame. Munger nailed her third triple of the first half at the 7:33 mark to halt the Spartan run.
Michigan stayed patient, slowly chipping away at the MSU lead and got within three on a Hillmon layup in transition with 4:10 before the half. Munger continued her hot shooting the next trip down to knot the score at 32 at the 3:09 mark.
MSU scored on a putback to beat the clock at the end of the quarter, giving the Spartans a five-point lead (42-37) at the break.
Michigan State used a 7-0 run in the middle stages of the third quarter to take a 52-41 lead with 5:44 left in the period. U-M struggled offensively during the period but got the Spartan lead down to 11, 59-48, heading into the fourth quarter.
Michigan scored four straight for Michigan to start the fourth and then used a junior Akienreh Johnson three-point play to close within seven, 62-55, at the 7:16 mark.
A layup from Hillmon with 4:27 remaining brought the Maize and Blue back within five, 64-59, but U-M could get no closer the rest of the way.
U-M wraps up the regular season next Sunday (March 3) at home, hosting Wisconsin at 2 p.m. Michigan's senior class of Munger, Hallie Thome, Samantha Trammel and Taylor Rooks will be honored prior to the game. Â
