No. 3 seed Michigan outlasted No. 10 seed South Dakota on Saturday night to advance the first Elite Eight appearance in program history.

Freshman Laila Phelia was the game-changer for Michigan down the stretch, sinking a layup with 23.5 seconds left on the clock to put the Wolverines up 50-48.

From there, Michigan relied on its solid defense to put South Dakota away, defeating the Coyotes 52-49.

Neither team led by more than six points throughout the game, with both sides deploying disciplined game plans. Michigan and South Dakota had to work for their baskets, with the Coyotes shooting 36.5 percent from the floor and the Wolverines shooting 38.5 percent as a team.

Naz Hillmon led Michigan with 17 points and ten rebounds behind 50 percent shooting, while Phelia added 14 points, including her critical late bucket. Leigha Brown also contributed 10 points off the bench for the Wolverines.

Hannah Skerven was dominant for South Dakota, notching 17 points and eight rebounds before fouling out with 2:20 left on the clock.

Michigan’s gritty performance earns the team an Elite Eight meeting with No. 1 Louisville on Monday in Wichita, KS.

Naz Hillmon made history Sunday against No. 21 Iowa, pulling down her 1,000th rebound in the first half to become the first player in Michigan basketball history — men’s or women’s — to record 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in her career.

The senior forward is averaging 21.2 points and 9.1 rebounds per game this season, just below her averages of 23.9 points and 11.4 rebounds during the 2020-21 season. Thanks to her play this season, Michigan reached its highest-ever ranking in the AP poll (No. 6) and recorded its first two wins over top-five ranked teams (Baylor on Dec. 19 and Indiana on Jan. 31).

Hillmon will look to lead the Wolverines (22-4) to their first Ben Ten tournament title and on a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. Th 21-year-old is then expected to enter the WNBA Draft, where she is a top prospect.

Northwestern stunned No. 4 Michigan in a Big Ten matchup on Sunday, making a late defensive stop to knock off the Wolverines 71-69 in double overtime.

Michigan looked poised for a comeback after forcing overtime, with senior guard Danielle Rauch hitting a 3-pointer deep into the fourth quarter to cut Northwestern’s lead to 58-56. Rauch then tied the game at the free-throw line with seven seconds left in regulation.

Northwestern hung on despite squandering the lead in the final minutes of regulation, grinding out the win at home.

Veronica Burton led the Wildcats down the stretch, finishing the game with 13 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds. Jillian Brown had a team-high 18 points and eight rebounds for Northwestern, while Courtney Shaw added 16 points and nine rebounds.

The Wildcats held Michigan’s Naz Hillmon to 16 points, below her 20-point average on the season. Northwestern also forced 19 Michigan turnovers, making the difference in the back-and-forth matchup.

Michigan has not lost two straight conference games after falling to Michigan State on Thursday. The Wolverines are 11-3 in the Big Ten and 20-4 overall, while Northwestern improved to 6-5 in conference play.

The Wildcats next faces No. 7 Indiana on Thursday in Bloomington, Ind. Michigan hosts No. 15 Maryland next Sunday.

Michigan State stunned rivals No. 4 Michigan on Thursday, downing the Wolverines 63-57 in East Lansing.

The Spartans’ upset victory snapped Michigan’s eight-game winning streak, with the Wolverines falling to an 11-2 conference record.

Guard Nia Clouden led the charge for Michigan State, notching 20 points, four assists and two rebounds. Thirteen of Clouden’s points came in the third quarter, with the Spartans outscoring Michigan 23-11 to jump to a 49-40 lead.

Despite a late-game push that put the Wolverines within one, Michigan State was able to hold off their Big-Ten rivals down the stretch. Tamara Farquhar’s 11 points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals added to the Spartans’ tally, while a fourth-quarter three from Matilda Ekh sealed the deal for Michigan State.

Michigan’s Naz Hillmon led all scorers with 27 points, although her 12-for-25 shooting ultimately wasn’t enough to buoy the Wolverines to victory.

The Spartans will take on another top-ranked team on Saturday, facing off against Indiana in Bloomington.

Michigan will get a shot at redemption when they host Michigan State in Ann Arbor on Feb. 24.

The latest women’s AP Top 25 poll is out, with Michigan climbing to its best-ever ranking at No. 6.

The Wolverines (18-2) had big wins over Purdue and No. 23 Ohio State last week. They will host No. 5 Indiana on Monday night in a game that could have regular season conference title implications. Indiana currently sits undefeated in the conference while Michigan has one loss to Nebraska. The Wolverines will also play No. 21 Iowa on Sunday. Iowa is currently third in the Big Ten standings with a loss to Northwestern.

It will be Indiana’s first game since Jan. 16 due to COVID-19 protocols.

“They haven’t played in a long time, so we’re going to prep for everyone,” Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico said. “It’s such an interesting time in COVID, you don’t know who’s going to be playing.”

South Carolina continues its tight grip of the No. 1 ranking, receiving 29 of 30 first-place votes. Third-ranked NC State received the other top vote. Stanford remains No. 2 after taking down No. 8 Arizona.

Tennessee fell to No. 7 after a loss to Auburn.

FGCU and North Carolina both entered the poll this week at No. 22 and No. 24, respectively. Ole Miss and Duke, meanwhile, both fell out of the Top 25.