Northwestern University Athletics
Thursday, January 1
Eugene, Ore.
4 p.m. CT
Northwestern
6-8,0-3Big Ten
54
at
87
Oregon
13-3,1-2Big Ten
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern | 19 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 54 |
| Oregon | 20 | 25 | 27 | 15 | 87 |
Photo by: Howard Lao
Northwestern Upended By Oregon, 87-54
1/1/2026 6:37:00 PM | Women's Basketball
‘Cats return home Monday to host Iowa on Big Ten Network
EUGENE, Ore. (January 1, 2026) – Oregon (13-3, 1-2 B1G) shot just shy of 52 percent from the field as it defeated Northwestern (6-8, 0-3 B1G) by a final count of 87-54 this afternoon at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore.
How It Happened
Fresh off a 30-point showing earlier in the week against Washington, Grace Sullivan picked up right where she left off, rattling off eight of Northwestern's first 12 points. The senior's jumper at the 3:39 mark nudged the 'Cats in front, 12-11. After seeing the hosts jump back on top, Casey Harter connected from beyond the three-point arc ahead of another Sullivan score that gave Northwestern a 19-18 lead before Sarah Rambus converted on Oregon's ensuing possession to put the Ducks up one, 20-19, at the end of the opening frame.
Oregon fired on all cylinders to begin the second quarter, taking off on a 12-0 run that saw the Ducks' lead balloon to 32-19 with four minutes gone. A Caroline Lau layup snapped the dry spell for the 'Cats and trimmed the gap to 32-21, but Northwestern would get no closer the rest of the half as Oregon took a 45-30 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Sullivan continued to operate at an efficient clip on the offensive end coming out of the intermission, finishing through contact on the way to an old-fashioned three-point play that cut Oregon's lead to 55-39. The Ducks would hit the accelerator shortly after, ripping off 12 unanswered points to stretch the margin to 69-41 en route to victory.
Gallery: (1-1-2026) Women's Basketball vs. Oregon
Inside The Box Score
- Sullivan led all scorers with 23 points, finishing 11-of-16 from the field.
- This afternoon's showing marked Sullivan's 10th game of 20-plus points in 2025-26.
- Lau reached double figures in assists for the second time in as many games and sixth time this season, handing out 10 helpers.
- Lau now ranks sixth all-time on Northwestern's career leaderboard in the category with 537 assists.
- Katie Fiso paced Oregon with 17 points (7-11 FGs, 3-4 FTs).
Up Next
Northwestern returns home to Welsh-Ryan Arena on Monday, January 5 to host Iowa. The 7:30 p.m. CT tip-off will be televised on Big Ten Network.
How It Happened
Fresh off a 30-point showing earlier in the week against Washington, Grace Sullivan picked up right where she left off, rattling off eight of Northwestern's first 12 points. The senior's jumper at the 3:39 mark nudged the 'Cats in front, 12-11. After seeing the hosts jump back on top, Casey Harter connected from beyond the three-point arc ahead of another Sullivan score that gave Northwestern a 19-18 lead before Sarah Rambus converted on Oregon's ensuing possession to put the Ducks up one, 20-19, at the end of the opening frame.
Oregon fired on all cylinders to begin the second quarter, taking off on a 12-0 run that saw the Ducks' lead balloon to 32-19 with four minutes gone. A Caroline Lau layup snapped the dry spell for the 'Cats and trimmed the gap to 32-21, but Northwestern would get no closer the rest of the half as Oregon took a 45-30 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Sullivan continued to operate at an efficient clip on the offensive end coming out of the intermission, finishing through contact on the way to an old-fashioned three-point play that cut Oregon's lead to 55-39. The Ducks would hit the accelerator shortly after, ripping off 12 unanswered points to stretch the margin to 69-41 en route to victory.
Inside The Box Score
- Sullivan led all scorers with 23 points, finishing 11-of-16 from the field.
- This afternoon's showing marked Sullivan's 10th game of 20-plus points in 2025-26.
- Lau reached double figures in assists for the second time in as many games and sixth time this season, handing out 10 helpers.
- Lau now ranks sixth all-time on Northwestern's career leaderboard in the category with 537 assists.
- Katie Fiso paced Oregon with 17 points (7-11 FGs, 3-4 FTs).
Up Next
Northwestern returns home to Welsh-Ryan Arena on Monday, January 5 to host Iowa. The 7:30 p.m. CT tip-off will be televised on Big Ten Network.
Team Stats
NU
Oregon
FG%
.460
.517
3FG%
.308
.526
FT%
.800
.882
RB
24
33
TO
22
10
STL
4
13
Game Leaders
Pts
23
FGM
11
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
9
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
8
FGM
2
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
6
FGM
2
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballF
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