Sunday's basketball: Hallie Thome reaches 2,000 in UM win
The Michigan women’s basketball team is on a roll.
Kayla Robbins came off the bench to score 15 points to lead four players in double-figure scoring as Michigan rolled past Illinois, 70-56, in Champaign, Ill., for its sixth straight victory.
Hallie Thome scored 14, Deja Church added 12 and Hailey Brown chipped in 11 for the Wolverines (18-9, 9-6 Big Ten), who haven’t lost since Jan. 27 to Michigan State.
Thome became the third player in Michigan program history to eclipse 2,000 career points.
Robbins gave Michigan its first lead, 13-11, with a layup with 1:22 left in the first quarter and never looked back. It was part of a 14-0 run that erased a four-point deficit and gave the Wolverines a 21-11 lead with 7:35 left in the first half.
Alex Wittinger led Illinois (10-16, 2-13) with 18 points.
More state women
(At) Nebraska 82, (at) No. 24 Michigan State 71: Hannah Whitish scored 16 points, including two critical late baskets, and Nebraska turned back No. 24 Michigan State.
The Cornhuskers (12-14, 7-8 Big Ten) used a hot start, built a lead to 22 points in the third quarter and held on when Whitish had back-to-back baskets inside the three-minute mark after the Spartans (17-8, 7-7) had closed within eight. MSU opened the fourth quarter on a 20-7 run.
After the Whitish baskets, Nebraska made 9 of 10 free throws, six by Taylor Kissinger, including four in the final 15 seconds.
Shay Colley had 17 points and Jenna Allen and Victoria Gaines added 13 apiece for the Spartans, who were 6 of 25 behind the arc. The Huskers finished 12 of 24 from distance.
Top 25 men
No. 9 Houston 85, (at) Tulane 50: Corey Davis Jr. made eight 3-pointers and scored 26 to help No. 9 Houston to its 10th consecutive victory.
Davis and Armoni Brooks led the way as Houston went 17 for 34 from beyond the arc. Brooks made six 3s on his way to 24 points.
The Cougars (25-1, 12-1 American Athletic) opened the game with a 22-5 run.
Tulane (4-20, 0-12) dropped its 14th consecutive game in the program’s longest losing streak in 55 years. They have six more chances to avoid the first winless conference season in school history.
(At) St. John’s 71, No. 13 Villanova 65: LJ Figueroa scored 22 and St. John’s rallied from a 14-point deficit in the second half.
The Red Storm (19-7, 7-6 Big East) were down 48-34 with 12:30 left. St. John’s scored 20 of the next 25 points to take its first lead on Figueroa’s 3-pointer from the corner that brought the sellout crowd at Madison Square Garden to its feet.
The teams traded the lead over the next few minutes before Figueroa hit another 3-pointer that gave the Red Storm a 58-57 advantage with 3:12 left that started an 8-0 run.