Despite a promising first quarter, Northwestern failed to capitalize on its early success in a 74-62 loss against Kansas.
After starting the year 6-0, the Wildcats (6-2, 0-0 Big Ten) dropped their second consecutive game after falling to Missouri on Saturday. The Jayhawks (7-2, 0-0 Big 12) were led by sophomore forward Regan Williams with 22 points, while the Wildcats were kept alive by 24 points from senior forward Grace Sullivan.
In a slow-starting first quarter, the ’Cats got off to a 6-4 lead over the Jayhawks. In Kansas’ first true road game of the season, the Jayhawks struggled from the field, as the six-point start was their lowest-scoring first quarter of the season. They were also outrebounded by NU 16-to-9 and had six turnovers.
The ’Cats pounced on Kansas’s misses, going on a 12-2 run to end the quarter ahead 16-6. Led by Sullivan’s 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field, the ’Cats rolled into the second quarter up double digits.
NU’s lead began to slip away only four minutes into the second quarter as the Jayhawks began to heat up, making seven of their first nine field goals. Heading into the media timeout with a little over four minutes left in the quarter, NU held on to a 24-21 lead over the Jayhawks.
After Sullivan went to the bench with two fouls, the ’Cats needed their surrounding cast to step up. After Kansas tied the game with a 3-pointer, sophomore guard Xamiya Walton responded with one of her own. Senior guard Caroline Lau then added a contested layup. As the teams ran off to their locker rooms, NU clung to a 34-30 halftime lead.
To start the second half, Kansas went on an 8-0 run to take a 38-34 lead over NU, but three consecutive Sullivan buckets allowed the ’Cats to roar back.
As both teams heated up from the field, NU couldn’t keep pace, trailing for the majority of the quarter. Sullivan scored 10 of the team’s first 13 third-quarter points. An 8-0 run to end the third saw the Jayhawks pull away from their Big Ten opponent with NU’s hopes dwindling.
As turnovers began to compound for the ’Cats, Kansas pulled ahead 60-51 at the media timeout with a little over seven minutes to play. The Jayhawks continued piling on points, stretching their lead to as high as 15 in the final minutes.
Here are three takeaways from NU’s 74-62 loss Wednesday:
1. Defense stands tall against Nichols
After Kansas junior guard S’Mya Nichols put up a historic 40-point outburst against Georgia two games ago, the ’Cats held her to just two points in the first half.
Nichols was named to the Naismith Player of the Year and Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year watch lists, but was unable to fully assert herself in the game after picking up two early fouls.
Nichols went on to finish the game with 14 points on 50% from the field. Her suppressed outing is a credit to diligent team defense from the ’Cats, showing promise for upcoming matchups against highly-touted scorers in Big Ten play.
2. Sullivan continues dominance on the big stage
After posting a career-high 31 points against Missouri, Sullivan further illustrated why she’s one of the top playmakers in the nation. Heading into the contest, the 6-foot-4 senior was the country’s 11th-highest scorer and the Big Ten’s 3rd-highest scorer, averaging 22.6 points per game.
Sullivan’s 24 points and six rebounds in 33 minutes were a major factor in the 12-point loss. The senior kept NU within striking distance with a 10-point third quarter.
Still, the past two games have shown that Sullivan can’t do it on her own.
3. Can Thomas become a reliable second option for the ’Cats?
With Sullivan battling foul trouble early in the first half, sophomore forward Tayla Thomas embraced her increased role on offense. Thomas entered halftime with eight points and a game-high nine rebounds.
After struggling last game with only four points on two of nine shooting, Thomas bounced back, scoring nine points and grabbing 11 rebounds. However, poor foul shooting and costly fouls and turnovers limited the sophomore’s overall impact.
As NU has looked to find a consistent second scorer behind Sullivan, Thomas is trying to prove she can hold her own down low.
The ’Cats will look to regroup before they face No. 23 Ohio State in their Big Ten opener on Sunday at 1 p.m.
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