Northwestern struggles to contain the Bruins' offensive firepower, failing to respond on both sides.
Can Northwestern’s season turn things around after collecting two wins in the Big Ten Conference? Maybe. But the Sunday blowout loss tells a harsh truth.
With their stark difference from national contenders like UCLA, which remained unbeaten in the Big Ten and lost only one game before traveling to Chicago, Northwestern faltered at the midpoint and surrendered to an 80-46 blowout.
Grace Sullivan led the way with 21 points, marking her 14th game with over 20 points. Xamiya Walton contributed nine points, including three triples.
Four of the Bruins’ starters scored in double figures. Gabriela Jaquez led the team with 19 points. Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice posted 16 and 15 points, respectively.
The Bruins opened the game with a three-pointer. Sullivan responded with a second-chance bucket. UCLA then cruised on a 10-2 run while Northwestern struggled to score from the perimeter. Betts, the 6-foot-7 senior center, dominated the Wildcats’ paint and extended the Bruins' lead to double digits. Sullivan stood firm with another jumper, scoring six of the Wildcats’ eight overall points in the first six minutes.
The Bruins showcased their elite defense on the home team, deploying double-teams and using their size for interference. The ‘Cats trimmed it to single digits after a buzzer-beating three from Walton.
While Betts was contained in the paint, Tate Lash checked in off the bench, dishing to Sullivan for a layup. Rice extinguished the ‘Cats’ momentum with an and-one finish in transition. Her teammate Lena Billic followed with a trey, extending the Bruins’ lead to 13 points over Northwestern.
After nearly two minutes of Northwestern’s scoring drought, Lau beat the clock for a foul and scored two from the line. But UCLA kept attacking as Rice and Betts poured in seven points. UCLA dominated Northwestern 46-22 in the first half.
The Bruins kept pulling away, extending their lead to 30 points. Sullivan broke the silence with an and-one finish. Lau came behind with a three-ball blossom. The Wildcats’ senior duo became the silver lining in the blowout loss amid a snowstorm in Evanston, Ill., shouldering most of the scoring responsibility while Northwestern collapsed on the defensive end.
The Bruins widened the deficit to 30 points with their firepower, while the Wildcats continued their sloppiness and scoring struggles. Northwestern trailed 38-70 before the final frame.
Casey Harter found Walton for her third triple of the game on a long pass to start the fourth. Sullivan made a catch-and-shoot jumper beyond the charity stripe, marking her 14th game with over 20 points. Daisha Turner cut in for a layup, the last field goal Northwestern scored in the afternoon.
Northwestern will take another road trip in a two-game swing, battling No. 24 Nebraska on January 28 at 7 p.m. CT.