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Hillmon's 35-Point Performance Helps Michigan Cruise Past Oakland
11/27/2020 8:38:00 PM | Women's Basketball
» Naz Hillmon's 35 points rank tied for 12th all-time in Michigan women's basketball single-game history.
» U-M has scored 90 or more point in both games this season.
» The Wolverines shot 52.2 percent from the floor and 50.0 percent from beyond the arc.
» Hillmon scored the first 10 points of the game in 1:40.
Site: Rochester, Mich. (O'rena)
Score: #25 Michigan 95, Oakland 62
Records: U-M (2-0), OU (0-1)
Next U-M Event: Thursday, Dec. 3 -- at Notre Dame (South Bend, Ind.), 6 p.m.
ROCHESTER, Mich. -- Junior Naz Hillmon scored a career-best 35 points to lead the No. 25-ranked University of Michigan women's basketball team to a decisive 95-62 victory at Oakland Friday night (Nov. 27) at the O'rena.
Oakland had no answer for Hillmon in the first quarter as she netted 19 points on the way to securing the second 30-point performance of her career (30 vs. Iowa on Feb. 2, 2020). The junior's 35 points rank tied for 12th all-time in a single game in Michigan women's basketball history.
Along with Hillmon, Hailey Brown, Leigha Brown and Michelle Sidor all added 11 points, and freshman Cameron Williams scored her first points as a Wolverine with nine. Junior Amy Dilk dished out nine assists, and Leigha Brown had four.
The 90-point performance marks the second in as many games for the Maize and Blue as Michigan scored 93 against Central Michigan two days prior to open the season.
As a team, Michigan shot 50.0 percent (8-for-16) from beyond the three-point arc, with Sidor scoring nine of her 11 points from long range and Hailey Brown draining two triples.
On the boards, sophomore Maddie Nolan pulled down a team-high and career-best nine rebounds, while Hillmon and Hailey Brown grabbed seven each. Defensively, Michigan forced Oakland into 17 turnovers that turned into 17 points and added 21 points off offensive rebounds.
Hillmon went on a personal 10-point run in a minute and 40 seconds to open the scoring for the Maize and Blue, before Oakland worked its way back within two.
The Wolverines widened the gap, going on a 9-4 run, capped off by a Hailey Brown shot in the paint to put U-M up 19-12 with 4:55 remaining in the first quarter.
A Nolan triple in the corner with 2:03 left in the quarter allowed Michigan to take a double-digit lead over the Golden Grizzlies. On the ensuing possession, Nolan grabbed an offensive rebound and kicked it out to Sidor for a triple at the top of the arc, extending the Wolverine lead to 32-16 with 1:20 left in the first quarter. The Wolverines led, 34-19, after the first 10 minutes of action.
Michigan gave up just two points in the first four minutes of the second quarter and tacked on nine of its own to extend its lead to 22, 43-21, on a Danielle Rauch layup. U-M finished the half on a 7-0 run and forced the Grizzlies into a scoring drought for 3:20 during which they had three turnovers.
Behind 53.8 percent shooting from the floor and 27 points from Hillmon, the Wolverines took a 52-26 lead into the halftime break. Nolan led Michigan with seven first-half rebounds, while Hillmon added five for the Maize and Blue.
A three-point play from Hillmon with 6:23 remaining in the third quarter produced a 64-33 Michigan advantage and gave Hillmon her 30th point of the evening. U-M tacked on another 13 points in the closing six minutes of the quarter to take a 77-44 lead into the final 10 minutes of play.
The Maize and Blue continued to work on the boards as Williams grabbed an offensive rebound and dished a pass from the top of the key to a breaking Rauch for the easy layup to put U-M ahead 85-53 with 3:38 remaining. The Wolverines did not relinquish their 30-point advantage in the closing quarter, going up as many as 35.
Michigan will continue non-conference action Thursday (Dec. 3), heading to Notre Dame to face the Fighting Irish at 6 p.m. in South Bend, Ind.
