No. 15 Michigan women roll over Illinois

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Naz Hillmon scored 24 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and No. 15 Michigan continued its school-best star with a 70-50 win over Illinois on Sunday.

Akienreh Johnson added 17 points points and Amy Dilk 11, plus both grabbed nine rebounds, for the Wolverines (9-0, 4-0 Big Ten), whose previous best start was 7-0 three different times, the last in 2015-16.

Jeanae Terry scored 17 points for the Illini (2-6, 0-5) and Kennedi Myles had 12. Illinois has lost five straight.

Hillmon scored the first five and Johnson the last four in a 9-2 run to close the first quarter for a 17-14 Michigan lead. Hillmon had four points, Dilk a 3-pointer and Johnson a layup in a 9-0 run in the second quarter that pushed the lead to 28-17 at the break.

The Illini got with seven late in the third quarter after five quick points from Terry but Hailey Brown had a three-point play and 3-pointer in the final 2 1/2 minutes to help get the lead back into double figures and the Wolverines were never threatened in the fourth quarter.

Leigha Brown, the Wolverines’ second-leading scorer (19.7 ppg), missed her second-straight game for what the program would only call COVID protocols.

Michigan plays at Wisconsin on Thursday when Illinois is at home against No. 23 Michigan State.