The Wildcats collapse in Salt Lake City, conceding a dominant second half to Utah.
Northwestern's losing streak continued Sunday as the Wildcats remained mired in their worst stretch of the season.
Northwestern (6-4, 0-1 B1G) suffered a crushing 91-66 loss to Utah (8-3, 0-0 Big 12) at Jon M. Huntsman Center, extending their losing streak to four games. Despite a competitive first quarter, the Wildcats were unable to escape a second-half collapse in Salt Lake City.
Grace Sullivan, facing the Utes' targeted defense, led with 21 points and four rebounds. Caroline Lau posted a double-double, 12 points with 10 assists. On Utah's side, Lani White and Reese Rose led the way with 26 and 22 points, respectively, who also combined for 15 rebounds.
Northwestern started strong, forcing Utah turnovers and initiating fastbreaks. Tate Lash scored a driving layup for her fourth early points, and after both teams traded baskets, the Wildcats formed another transition opportunity. Tayla Thomas stole the ball and pushed ahead, finishing the possession with Sullivan's layup in a two-on-one counter.
Sullivan, who posted a career-high 37 points against Ohio State last week, remained hot with two composed jumpers to build a five-point Northwestern lead. But Utah never wavered. Ross hit an and-one layup to keep the Utes within striking distance.
After the first timeout with three minutes remaining in the opening quarter, Sullivan returned with another fadeaway jumper to maintain Northwestern's cushion. But Utah kept chipping away. White drilled a three-pointer from the weak side to cut it to a one-point game. Lash answered with a reverse layup under pressure on the weak side.
After making a key stop on Sullivan's mid-range attempt, White banged another triple to threaten Northwestern, trimming the Wildcats' lead to one point before the second quarter.
Utah seized control in the second period. Lash connected with Thomas on a pick-and-roll for an and-one play to open the frame, but the Utes responded quickly. Evelina Otto grabbed a putback to cut the deficit, then Avery Hjelmstad connected on a corner three to give Utah its first lead.
Xamiya Walton answered with a drive, but LA Sneed matched it with her own penetration, forcing Northwestern to call timeout at the 6:53 mark trailing by one.
Out of the break, Lash broke away with a steal for a fastbreak bucket, but Ross found a driving lane and cruised through the paint for an and-one. After Lau's three-pointer airballed, Utah extended its lead to three when Ross drew another foul and converted one of two free throws. Both teams went scoreless for a minute until Angelina Hodgens broke the silence with a three-pointer to tie the score at 34.
Then Northwestern's interior defense collapsed. Utah's Maty Wilke scored a putback in the restricted area, then knocked down a three to create a five-point lead. Hodgens added two free throws, but Utah built a scoring run behind Ross's four-point surge while Northwestern struggled to find baskets. In the final possession, Chyra Evans hit a buzzer-beating dagger from the top of the key. Northwestern trailed 46-36 at halftime.
The second half turned into a nightmare. Northwestern's scoring drought continued as Utah capitalized on another second-chance opportunity when Evans cleaned up with a tip-in. Sullivan, held scoreless with just two made shots during the second frame, finally scored two free throws. But Utah ballooned its lead beyond 10 points with another Wilke three-pointer. White followed with back-to-back triples to devastate Northwestern further, establishing a 19-point chasm.
The Wildcats eventually broke their drought when Thomas scored a driving layup, but Northwestern couldn't contain Utah's firepower. Ross fed a cutting Evans downhill in a high-low play, followed by a seven-point surge from Ross, White and Evans that pushed Utah's lead to 26 points with three minutes left in the third.
Northwestern finished the third quarter with nine points, including a six-point outburst from Lau. White utilized a screen to hit a three before Lau sprinted forward and beat the buzzer with her own triple.
The fourth quarter offered no reprieve for Northwestern. After an early full-court press resulted in a Utah turnover, Sullivan hit a jumper in the next possession, but the 'Cats barely registered later. Otto and Sneed scored four straight points after Northwestern's two consecutive turnovers, enlarging Utah's lead to 33 points.
The rest of the game became a formality as Northwestern endured a 25-point blowout loss and fell to a four-game skid. The Wildcats will return home to face Loyola Chicago on Wednesday, Dec. 18, at 11 a.m. CT.