COLLEGE PARK, Md.: Maddie Nolan scored 21 points all on 3-pointers and No. 11 Michigan routed No. 8 Maryland 69-49 on Sunday.
Maryland coach Brenda Frese guided the team after her father, Bill, died of cancer Sunday morning.
The Wolverines (15-2, 6-1 Big Ten) made their first seven shots from the field and led by 10 after the first quarter. Michigan star Naz Hillmon barely touched the ball as her team was building that lead, but the Wolverines showed they have plenty of other contributors.
Then in the second quarter, Michigan held the Terrapins (12-5, 4-2) to only three points and led 34-19 at the break. The second half wasn’t much better for Maryland, which lost to the Wolverines for only the second time in 12 meetings.
Michigan was a Sweet 16 team last season but still lost by 25 to Maryland at home in March. The Wolverines turned the tables this time.
Hillmon scored a quiet nine points, the first time all season she didn’t reach double figures, but she contributed in other ways, chasing down Angel Reese to block her layup attempt on what looked like it would be an easy basket at the end of the first half.
That capped a stellar stretch of defense for Michigan, which allowed a 3-pointer by Chloe Bibby with about nine minutes remaining and then nothing more in the second quarter.
Maryland shot 3 for 25 in the second and third quarters. Bibby and Reese paced the Terps with nine points each.
Nolan set a career high with her seven 3-pointers and tied her career high in scoring. Leigha Brown added 15 points for Michigan.
BIG PICTURE
Michigan: Given the opponent, the margin of victory and the fact that this was a road game, it has to rank as an all-time great performance for this program. What was most impressive was how the Wolverines dominated at both ends without needing much offense from Hillmon.
Maryland: A bad start snowballed quickly for the Terrapins, a veteran team that has played a tough schedule this season. Maryland couldn’t find any answers offensively in the second quarter, which was probably the team’s best chance to make a game of it.
UP NEXT
Michigan: The Wolverines return home to face Wisconsin on Thursday night.
Maryland: The Terps play at Ohio State on Thursday night.
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More AP womens college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
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