March Madness 2022: Michigan women beat Villanova, return to Sweet 16

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Naz Hillmon and her teammates sat quietly in their locker room after helping Michigan earn a spot in the Sweet 16 of the women’s NCAA Tournament for the second straight year.

Wolverines coach Kim Barnes Arico broke the silence, saying it was time to enjoy the accomplishment.

"We need to celebrate this moment," Barnes Arico recalled telling her players. "And, the locker room got a little bit crazy."

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Michigan forward Naz Hillmon (00) and the team react during the closing seconds of the second half of a college basketball game in the second round of the NCAA tournament against Villanova, Monday, March 21, 2022, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

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.

"Everybody doesn't get to the Sweet 16, and we need to celebrate," Hillmon said. "That’s not to say that we need to celebrate for the entire week, or until we play our next game."

The Wolverines (24-6) 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 and taking advantage of the energy generated by 5,581 fans in the stands.

"The energy and atmosphere in there was absolutely insane," said Leigha Brown, who scored 20 points for the Wolverines and looked fully recovered a leg injury. "When it was 48-40, we couldn’t hear ourselves."

The Wildcats (24-9) led by three points after