The Wildcats' hot first half evaporated as No. 7 Michigan's second-half surge overwhelmed Northwestern.
Northwestern had a moment against No. 7 Michigan on Thursday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena, but what looked like a potential upset proved to be a mirage as the Wolverines picked up their standard.
Despite battling toe-to-toe with the Wolverines (21-4, 12-2 B1G) for 20 minutes with a hot hand from deep, the Wildcats (8-16, 2-11 B1G) were overwhelmed 80-58 by Michigan’s second-half resurgence, extending their losing streak to six games.
Grace Sullivan and Caroline Lau led the 'Cats scoreboard with 16 points apiece. Lau also posted a team-high six assists. Tayla Thomas notched 13 points and five rebounds.
On the Wolverines' side, Olivia Olson stuffed the statsheet with a game-high 21 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Syla Swords followed with 16 points.
After Michigan airballed a shot, Lau found Thomas in transition for an easy layup. Swords responded immediately with a three-pointer. Both teams traded baskets for a possession before the Wolverines established a 10-4 lead after an and-one finish by Olivia Olson.
Northwestern rallied to tie the score. Casey Harter banked in a cutting layup, and after a Michigan turnover and foul on Swords, Sullivan cruised for four straight points. Olson answered with a turnaround jumper in the paint, retaking a 12-10 lead before the first timeout.
Michigan grabbed two offensive rebounds and converted both into points. Sullivan powered downhill and finished with her signature hook shot, but the Wolverines continued dominating the paint as Ally Vantimmeren scored four consecutive points inside.
Tate Lash came off the bench with a triple to cut the deficit. After forcing two consecutive turnovers, the Wildcats executed the final play of the quarter with Daija Turner drawing a shooting foul and hitting both free throws. Northwestern trailed 20-17 entering the second quarter.
After a Michigan three-second violation, Lau ignited Northwestern's offense with a corner three. She drew another foul in traffic and hit one of two free throws, retaking the lead for the Wildcats. She added another bucket on a fastbreak, but Swords' four-point burst kept Michigan ahead 24-23.
Lash grabbed the ball in the final seconds and laid it in. Thomas followed with a strong two-pointer fed by Lau as Northwestern kept pace with the ranked Wolverines while maintaining defensive toughness.
Thomas tied the game from the free-throw line at 28-28. After Michigan reclaimed a three-point advantage, Lau and Thomas each drained triples to give Northwestern a 34-31 edge. Lau stayed hot with another three-pointer, handing Northwestern a stunning 37-31 halftime lead over the seventh-ranked Wolverines.
Michigan opened the second half with Olson's turnaround jumper. Sullivan, who struggled through most of the second quarter, beat her defender with her own turnaround. Thomas followed with her second triple to beat the buzzer.
The Wolverines fought back with two straight second-chance buckets, then retook the lead midway through the third after Swords' driving layup. Facing Michigan's full-court press, the Wildcats bled with three turnovers in 30 seconds. Michigan capitalized as Brooke Daniel's driving layup gave the Wolverines a 45-42 lead, forcing Northwestern to call a timeout.
Thomas drew a foul but missed both free throws. Michigan added four more points while Northwestern remained scoreless. Sullivan broke the drought with two free throws after drawing a foul on a post move, but Michigan crushed Northwestern's morale with Olson's and-one play. Kendall Dudley followed with a driving layup, giving the Wolverines their first double-digit lead at 56-45.
Entering the final frame, Michigan extended its cushion with four quick points. After Northwestern's prolonged scoring drought, Lau broke the silence with a layup before feeding Sullivan for a fastbreak bucket. But the fractured Wildcats found no answers for Michigan's dominance the rest of the way, letting the game fade away in a 22-point loss.