Michigan
22-4,13-3Big Ten
Michigan State
14-13,8-8Big Ten
Michigan Caps Perfect Home Season With Win Over Michigan State
2/24/2022 9:16:00 PM | Women's Basketball
» Michigan trailed by as many as nine points in the first half before climbing back in the game to tie it at halftime. U-M scored the first four points of the third quarter and never trailed again.
» Naz Hillmon again paced the Wolverines, going for 28 points, eight rebounds, two assists and a block.
» The senior class of Hillmon, Amy Dilk, Emily Kiser and Danielle Rauch was honored prior to the game.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Center)
Score: #6 Michigan 62, Michigan State 51
Records: U-M (22-4, 13-3 B1G), MSU (14-13, 8-8 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Feb. 27 -- at Iowa (Iowa City, Iowa), 3 p.m. CST
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 6-ranked University of Michigan women's basketball team overcame a slow start, using a 10-0 run to start the fourth quarter en route to a 62-51 win over Michigan State Thursday evening (Feb. 24) at Crisler Center. The win capped a 14-0 home season for the Wolverines, the first undefeated home season in program history.
Naz Hillmon led all players with 28 points, including 17 in the first half -- more than half the Wolverines' total points (32) going into the halftime break. Maddie Nolan and Emily Kiser each added eight points, and Kiser paced Michigan with nine boards. Amy Dilk had six assists and three steals to lead the defensive effort.
U-M got off to a slow start, trailing by as many as nine in the opening quarter before slowly climbing back to only be down 14-10 after the first 10 minutes.
Michigan cut the Spartan lead to just two after Hillmon scored on the opening possession of the second quarter, but MSU continued to answer as the teams traded buckets for several minutes.
Nolan hit back-to-back triples to cap an 8-0 Michigan run that pushed the Wolverines past the Spartans for the first time all game, 28-26, with 4:14 left in the second quarter. Neither team led by more than two points the rest of the period, trading baskets the rest of the way.
U-M nudged back in front with a pair of free throws from Cameron Williams on its final possession, but Michigan State answered with a pair of its own to send the teams to locker room tied at 32.
Michigan scored the first four points of the third quarter, getting buckets from Hillmon and Kiser to break the halftime tie. U-M pushed its lead to six on a Kiser shot to beat the shot clock with 5:40 to go.
A driving layup by the Spartans' Nia Clouden put Michigan State within two, 44-42, with 1:45 to play in the third quarter, but a timely jump shot from freshman Laila Phelia quickly gave Michigan back a four-point lead. The MSU offense was stifled from that point on as U-M held the Spartans to just one made field goal in the fourth quarter.
Michigan opened the fourth on a 10-0 run to put the game out of reach. U-M got consecutive buckets from Phelia, Kiser and Danielle Rauch, forcing an MSU timeout at the 7:50 mark as U-M's lead grew to double digits for the first time, 54-44.
The timeout did not stop the run as four straight free throws from Hillmon and Nolan capped the spurt with 6:21 to go and U-M leading by 14, 58-44. The lead stayed in double figures the rest of the way as U-M collected the win.
Michigan will complete the regular season on Sunday (Feb. 27), traveling to Iowa to face the 21st-ranked Hawkeyes at 3 p.m. CST. The game will air live on ESPN2.
