Northwestern Women’s Basketball Runs Into Red-Hot Oregon Offense

Northwestern Women’s Basketball Falls to Oregon

Northwestern Women’s Basketball | Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

The final stop of Northwestern’s West Coast trip proved to be its most challenging of the season. On New Year’s Day, the Wildcats faced an Oregon squad. However, that dictated the pace from the opening tip to the final whistle. Inside the hostile environment of Matthew Knight Arena, the Ducks utilized a transition scoring to hand Northwestern an 87-54 defeat and gave the Wildcats their largest margin of loss this season.

Even If Losing Took Place, the Team Leads the Charge

With the result, Northwestern falls to 6-8 overall and 0-3 in Big Ten play. While the final score indicates a blowout, the game was a story of a few decisive runs fueled by Northwestern turnovers.

FINAL | Oregon 87, Northwestern 54

'Cats are back home on Monday, January 5 to host Iowa at 7:30 p.m. CT on @BigTenNetwork.

— Northwestern Women’s Basketball (@nuwbball) January 1, 2026

Despite the lopsided score, senior star Grace Sullivan continued her exceptional run of form. Coming off a strong performance against Washington, Sullivan anchored the Wildcat offense with 23 points. She demonstrated her efficiency by going 6-of-8 from inside the arc in the first half alone.

Tayla Thomas and Casey Harter were the only other Wildcats to approach double figures with nine and eight points, respectively. Playmaker Mel Lau provided a bright spot in the box score. They led all players with 10 assists, though the team’s overall rhythm was frequently disrupted by a physical game that featured 34 total fouls.

The game began with a competitive exchange. Northwestern won the opening tip, and Sullivan immediately scored in the paint. Casey Harter briefly tied the game at 8-8 with five minutes left in the first quarter, and the Wildcats trailed by just one, 20-19, heading into the second.

Momentum shifted sharply in the second quarter. Grace Sullivan was forced to the bench after picking up her third personal foul, and in her absence, Oregon outscored Northwestern 25-11.

The Wildcats struggled to pass through Oregon’s pressure. They committed 12 first-half turnovers, and seven of them were steals. By halftime, Oregon had built a commanding 45-30 lead.

Looking Ahead The Opponent Pulls Away

Northwestern attempted to spark a rally early in the third quarter with three-pointers from Harter and Xamiya Walton. It was along with baskets from Sullivan and Thomas. But Oregon had an answer for every push. Late in the quarter, the Ducks delivered the knockout blow with a 12-0 run. Meanwhile, the Wildcats endured a scoreless stretch that lasted over five minutes.

In the fourth quarter, Northwestern showed flashes of resilience. Walton knocked down a three on the fast break, and Sullivan followed with a layup to briefly halt Oregon’s momentum. But Ari Long answered with a three of her own, sealing the Ducks’ control of the game. From there, the outcome closed out the 33-point victory.

The primary takeaway for Joe McKeown’s squad will be the need for cleaner execution. A significant portion of Oregon’s scoring, particularly in the first half, came directly off Northwestern turnovers.

Northwestern returns home to Welsh-Ryan Arena for a marquee conference matchup. Now the opponent will be No. 14 Iowa Hawkeyes on Monday, Jan. 5, at 7:30 p.m. CST. The game will be broadcast on Big Ten Network

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