Northwestern traveled to Oregon looking to break its losing skid to kick off the new year, but left with a game to forget, falling 87-54 in Eugene on Thursday.
Coming off a 30-point performance in Monday’s loss at Washington, senior forward Grace Sullivan scored a game-high 23 points. Despite Sullivan’s strong offensive showing, the Wildcats (6-8, 0-3 Big Ten) picked up their eighth consecutive loss as they struggled to contain an offensive outburst from the Ducks (13-3, 1-2 Big Ten).
The ’Cats kept pace with the Ducks in the first quarter as Sullivan scored 12 points on 6-for-8 shooting, including eight of NU’s first 12 points.
While NU’s defense held Oregon to 5-for-16 shooting in the first quarter, the Ducks made up for their field goal disadvantage by cashing in on all eight of their free throws compared to the ’Cats, who only made one trip to the line. The free-throw discrepancy held throughout the game, with Oregon converting 15-for-17 free throws compared to NU’s 4-for-5.
Despite the Ducks only holding a slim 20-19 lead after the opening ten minutes, the ’Cats quickly fell apart as they missed their first four shots of the second quarter and did not score for over four minutes. More costly, the ’Cats turned the ball over seven times in the quarter and finished the game with 22 turnovers.
Turnover issues have plagued NU during its losing streak, as it has turned the ball over more than 15 times in five of its last six outings.
Katie Fiso led the charge for Oregon’s second-quarter run, scoring eight points on 4-for-5 shooting from the field. Fiso finished the game with a team-high 17 points, six assists and four steals.
The Ducks entered halftime up, 45-30, and continued to extend their lead in the second half as Mia Jacobs took the reins from Fiso as Oregon’s top scorer in the third quarter, knocking down all three of her 3-point attempts as part of a 13-point quarter. Jacobs finished the game with 16 points and a team-high six rebounds.
NU could not find consistent scoring outside of Sullivan, as she was its lone double-digit scorer. Sophomore forward Tayla Thomas was the next leading scorer with nine points on 4-for-8 shooting.
The ’Cats struggled to keep up with the Ducks from beyond the arc, shooting 4-for-13 from long range. Sophomore guard Xamiya Walton and junior guard Casey Harter each made two 3-pointers, but Oregon outmatched their efforts with a 10-for-19 3-point barrage throughout the afternoon.
Sullivan is the country’s seventh-leading scorer, averaging 23 points per game. Her offensive success has continued despite the ‘Cats’ losing streak, including three 30-plus point performances. She is also shooting 60.1% from the field, but NU’s 43.3% team shooting percentage ranks 15th in the Big Ten.
With non-conference play in the rearview mirror, the ’Cats have a difficult Big Ten schedule ahead as they look to get back in the win column.
After losing both games during its Pacific Northwest road trip, NU returns home Monday to host No. 14 Iowa.
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