ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Naz Hillmon had 27 points, 11 rebounds and five steals to help third-seeded Michigan pull away and beat No. 11 Villanova 64-49 in the second round of the women’s NCAA Tournament on Monday night.
The Wolverines (24-6) earned a second straight trip to the Sweet 16 and will face 10th-seeded South Dakota on Saturday in the Wichita Region.
Michigan took control with a 10-0 run over the end of the third quarter and start of the fourth, turning what was a closely contested game into a lopsided victory. Leigha Brown, who has recovered from a leg injury, had 20 points for the Wolverines.
The Wildcats (24-9) led by three points after the opening quarter, but they simply could not stop Hillmon.
Villanova also struggled to overcome Maddy Siegrist being held to single digits for just the sixth time this season. Siegrist, who ranked second in the nation with 25.8 points per game, had 12 points on 5 of 13 shooting. The junior forward had fewer points just twice this season in November.
The Wildcats’ only other player in double figures was Lior Gazon, who had 11 points.
Home court was an advantage for the Wolverines, whose fans filled the lower level of Crisler Arena and spilled into many upper-deck sections.
They were very loud as Michigan scored the last six points of the third quarter, taking a 48-40 lead. Hillmon scored off an offensive rebound to open the fourth, giving her 25 points and 10 rebounds at that point, and she got on the floor moments later for her fifth steal.
BIG PICTURE
Michigan: The Wolverines will not celebrate long because they want to win more than a couple games in the NCAA Tournament. Last year, they lost to Baylor in their first Sweet 16 appearance in program history.
Villanova: Second-year coach Denise Dillon led the program into the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018. With Siegrist back for her senior season, the Wildcats should be back for a second straight year for the first time since going to four NCAA Tournaments in a row from 2001-2004.
UP NEXT:
Michigan will play South Dakota, which knocked off second-seeded Baylor in one of the biggest upsets of the tournament, on Saturday in Wichita, Kansas.
