Michigan
13-6,4-4Big Ten
Rutgers
15-4,5-3Big Ten
Hillmon, Johnson Help Michigan Surge Past Rutgers
1/26/2020 5:51:00 PM | Women's Basketball
» Akienreh Johnson (24 points, 11 rebounds) and Naz Hillmon (20 points, 12 rebounds) each recorded double-doubles as Michigan notched its fourth Big Ten win of the season.
» Michigan was in an early 6-2 hole before ripping off a 10-0 run in the middle stages of the first quarter. U-M never trailed again in the contest and led by as many as 22 in the contest.
» Amy Dilk chipped in 11 points, with Hailey Brown and Izabel Varejão each going for eight points in the game.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Center)
Score: Michigan 71, Rutgers 57
Records: U-M (13-6, 4-4 B1G), Rutgers (15-4, 5-3 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Thursday, Jan. 30 -- at Northwestern (Evanston, Ill.), 7 p.m. CST
• Watch: Postgame Report: Rutgers
• Kornacki: Johnson Has Big Game for Best Friend Robbins
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's basketball team got a pair of double-doubles from senior Akienreh Johnson and Naz Hillmon while using a 10-0 run in the middle stages of the first quarter to take control of the game en route to a 71-57 win over Rutgers on Sunday afternoon (Jan. 26) at Crisler Center.
Johnson recorded the first double-double of her career, finishing with a career-best 24 points on 9-for-13 shooting from the floor. She also went for two assists and two steals in 36 minutes. Hillmon had her sixth double-double of the season with 20 points on 9-for-16 shooting and 12 rebounds. Sophomore Amy Dilk went for 11 points, three boards and five assists, with junior Hailey Brown and freshman Izabel Varejão each turning in eight points.
Michigan was in an early 6-2 hole before going on a 10-0 run on that featured a Johnson layup, Brown triple, Dilk three-point play and Hillmon layup for a 12-6 lead at the 5:01 mark of the first quarter. The Wolverines never trailed the rest of the way.
U-M led, 20-13, after 10 minutes following a pair of Johnson free throws on Michigan's final possession of the quarter. The Wolverines scored the first six points of the second period on a pair of free throws from Dilk, a jumper from Hillmon and a putback from Johnson as Michigan doubled up Rutgers (26-13) at the 7:47 mark of the period.
Michigan pushed its lead to 20 points for the first time, 35-15, on a Varejão turnaround in the paint with 4:24 before the half to cap a 9-0 run.
The Wolverines hit the half with a 40-23 lead. Rutgers scored the first four points out of the halftime break, but a Hillmon layup with 8:40 left stopped the short burst of momentum. U-M's lead hovered around 20 points the whole third quarter as Michigan's lead never dropped below 15 after the Hillmon bucket.
It was much of the same in the fourth quarter as Michigan repeatedly kept Rutgers at bay. After a three-point play from Rutgers that brought them back within 16, 67-51, with 3:34 left, Hillmon once again answered with a bucket. Rutgers continued to press the rest of the game as Michigan recorded a 14-point win after leading by as many as 22 in the contest.
Michigan will be back on the road Thursday (Jan. 30) when it takes on Northwestern at 7 p.m. CST in Evanston, Illinois. The game will be streamed live on BTN Plus.
