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Hillmon’s 24 points, 13 rebounds lift No. 15 Michigan women past Illini

NCAA Womens Basketball: Michigan at Notre Dame

Dec 3, 2020; South Bend, IN, USA; MichiganÕs Danielle Rauch (23) goes after a ball that came loose after Leigha Brown (32) and Destinee Walker (24) collided during the Michigan at Notre Dame NCAA women’s basketball game Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020 at Purcell Pavilion in South Bend. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-USA TODAY NETWORK

South Bend Tribune-USA TODAY NET

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 Conference), 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.