The Sullivan Show was overshadowed by a crushing loss.
The ‘Cats just couldn’t finish the job.
Northwestern (7-10, 0-6 B1G) fell to No. 24 Minnesota (17-3, 5-3 B1G) 87-82 in heartbreaking fashion. The Wildcats had been up 74-58 to start the fourth quarter, but let the Gophers go on a 29-8 run to make a comeback.
For the purple-and-white, Grace Sullivan starred off the bench with 18 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field, adding four blocks. Four more Wildcats scored in double figures, including 17 points for both Kyla Jones and Caileigh Walsh.
For the Golden Gophers, Grace Grocholski led all scorers with 27 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including a perfect 9-of-9 on free throws. Amaya Battle also added 18 points and six assists.
Taylor Williams won the tip despite Minnesota forward Sophie Hart’s four-inch height advantage. Walsh rewarded her effort with a three that found nothing but net for NU’s first points of the game. On the other end, Battle sank a midrange jumper. After an ugly miss by Walsh, Hart finished at the rim to put the Golden Gophers up 4-3.
The ‘Cats were feeling it from deep early on, as Caroline Lau hit a three from the left wing on the next possession. Following a miss by Grocholski, Jones drained a confident shot from behind the arc. Battle hit a layup on the other end, but Jones responded with a close basket of her own to make it 11-6.
After a tough bank shot by Battle, Lau whipped a pretty assist to Walsh for an easy finish at the rim. But the Golden Gophers wouldn’t be denied, as Grocholski inhaled an offensive rebound off a deep miss by Annika Stewart and put it back to cut their deficit to 13-11 heading into the media timeout.
Minnesota immediately struck out of the timeout with a layup by Grocholski, but the ‘Cats hit back with a close shot by Sullivan. After trapping a well-positioned Hart with a double team, Casey Harter stole the ball away for NU, turning the possession into a middie for Sullivan.
Following two consecutive layups for the Golden Gophers, the game was knotted at 17-17. Sullivan had other plans, as she found the rim twice more with some fancy footwork in the paint. Grocholski hit a last-minute three for Minnesota with eight seconds left in the quarter, putting her team up 23-21 after ten.
Mallory Heyer kicked off the second quarter with an and-one to put Minnesota up 26-21. After a turnover by Grocholski, Sullivan sealed off her defender and put home an assist from Jones. Trailing 31-23, Lau sank a three from the left wing to cut NU’s deficit to five. After another strong finish by Sullivan, the ‘Cats were within three.
With five minutes until halftime, Williams got on the board with a spinning finish at the rim. Following a quick response by Maggie Czinano, the Golden Gophers had stopped a 7-0 run and regrown their lead to 33-30.
The ‘Cats continued to show off their quick hands, as Williams parlayed a steal into an assist to Walsh at the rim to bring them within one. Following two free throws from Grocholski, Jones beat the shot clock with a drive to the hoop to make it 35-34.
After Melannie Daley finally got her first basket, McKinney shot back with a three to put the Golden Gophers up 40-38. Still feeling confident, Daley walked into a three of her own. After an airball by Alexsia Rose, Walsh finished through contact and hit a free throw to finish the half strong. The ‘Cats went 6-of-6 to conclude the first half, and they found themselves up 44-40.
The purple-and-white continued to play staunch defense, as the Golden Gophers shot 0-for-4 coming out of halftime. After Grocholski snapped their cold streak with a layup, she hit one yet again out of an inbounds pass to bring Minnesota within two.
NU wouldn’t let those baskets go unanswered, as a Harter three and Sullivan layup expanded its lead to 51-44. After Sullivan swatted her second block, Lau rewarded that tough defense with an assist to the junior to put NU up 55-48. A media timeout came right in time to give the reeling Golden Gophers a rest, but not before Sullivan notched yet another block at the rim.
Coming out of the timeout, Grocholski splashed a three home to cut NU’s lead to 55-51. Following a miss by Thomas, Rose spun to the rim to put Minnesota within two. Sullivan got her hand on a layup on the next possession, leading to two free throws by Williams on the other end to make it 59-53.
Sullivan continued to cook, this time feeding Williams at the rim for an easy layup to push the score to 62-55. After a miss by Grocholski, Sullivan swished a midrange jumper to deepen Minnesota’s deficit to nine. The ‘Cats poured in two more buckets before quarter’s end to take an astounding 69-58 lead.
Walsh kept NU’s hot shooting going, flipping a shot home and hitting a free throw on consecutive possessions to inflate the Wildcats’ lead to 72-58. After a block by Harter, Jones finished on the other end to force a Minnesota timeout.
After a transition layup by Stewart, the Golden Gophers cut their deficit to 76-70 with five minutes remaining. Walsh responded on the other end with a close shot of her own to push NU’s lead back up to eight.
However, things started to spiral for the ‘Cats. Grocholski converted an and-one following a spinning layup to bring Minnesota within five. On the next possession, the Golden Gophers forced Daley to turn it over before she could even cross half-court. After two more free throws by Grocholski, NU was up by just two.
With just over two minutes left, McKinney splashed a dagger three to knot the game at 80-80, prompting ‘Cats head coach Joe McKeown to call a timeout. After two consecutive layups by Niamya Holloway, the Golden Gophers were up by four with just 45 seconds to go.
After Daley’s midrange jumper was blocked, the ‘Cats fought for the offensive rebound and turned it into a layup for Walsh to bring them within two. Lau tried to tie the game with a three, but it clanked off the glass before Minnesota grabbed the rebound, all but sealing the game. After two free throws by Battle, the Golden Gophers won 87-82.
The ‘Cats will look to pick up their first win since December when they host Illinois on Thursday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The game will be broadcast at 7 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network.