Michigan women beat Villanova 64-49 and return to Sweet 16

The Wolverines (24-6) earned a second straight journey to the Candy 16 and can face Tenth-seeded South Dakota on Saturday within the Wichita Area.

Michigan took management with a 10-0 run over the tip of the third quarter and begin of the fourth, turning what was a carefully contested recreation right into a lopsided victory. Leigha Brown, who has recovered from a leg damage, had 20 factors for the Wolverines.

The Wildcats (24-9) led by three factors after the opening quarter, however they merely couldn’t cease Hillmon.

Villanova additionally struggled to beat Maddy Siegrist being held to single digits for simply the sixth time this season. Siegrist, who ranked second within the nation with 25.8 factors per recreation, had 12 factors on 5 of 13 taking pictures. The junior ahead had fewer factors simply twice this season in November.

The Wildcats’ solely different participant in double figures was Lior Gazon, who had 11 factors.

House court docket was a bonus for the Wolverines, whose followers crammed the decrease degree of Crisler Area and spilled into many upper-deck sections.

They have been very loud as Michigan scored the final six factors of the third quarter, taking a 48-40 lead. Hillmon scored off an offensive rebound to open the fourth, giving her 25 factors and 10 rebounds at that time, and he or she acquired on the ground moments later for her fifth steal.

BIG PICTURE

Michigan: The Wolverines won’t have fun lengthy as a result of they wish to win greater than a pair video games within the NCAA Event. Final yr, they misplaced to Baylor of their first Candy 16 look in program historical past.

Villanova: Second-year coach Denise Dillon led this system into the NCAA Event for the primary time since 2018. With Siegrist again for her senior season, the Wildcats must be again for a second straight yr for the primary time since going to 4 NCAA Tournaments in a row from 2001-2004.

UP NEXT:

Michigan will play South Dakota, which knocked off second-seeded Baylor in one of many greatest upsets of the match, on Saturday in Wichita, Kansas.