Northwestern University Athletics
Thursday, February 12
Evanston, Ill.
8 p.m. CT
Northwestern
vs
Michigan
Photo by: Christina Lin/Northwestern Athletics
Northwestern Welcomes No. 7 Michigan On Thursday Evening
2/11/2026 10:30:00 AM | Women's Basketball
'Cats set to host Wolverines in program's annual Pink Game
EVANSTON, Ill. (February 11, 2026) – After being idle for the past week, Northwestern (8-15, 2-10 B1G) closes out a two-game homestand against No. 7 Michigan on Thursday evening inside Welsh-Ryan Arena. The 8 p.m. CT matchup will be televised on Peacock and NBCSN, with A.J. Kanell (play-by-play) and Autumn Johnson (analyst) on the call.
LAST TIME OUT
Grace Sullivan and Casey Harter both reached the 20-point mark as visiting USC dealt Northwestern an 83-65 defeat last Thursday at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Sullivan operated at a 10-of-17 clip from the field en route to leading all scorers with 24 points, her 16th outing with 20-plus points this season. Against Big Ten Conference opposition, Sullivan has averaged 23.8 points per outing, a mark that is tied for second on the league leaderboard in the category.
Harter finished just one point shy of matching her career high scoring output, putting up 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting, knocking down a pair of attempts from beyond the three-point arc. Currently in the midst of a stretch that has seen her score in double figures in five of the Wildcats' last seven games, Harter is averaging 12.7 points since scoring a career-best 21 points against Rutgers on January 11.
Caroline Lau tallied her 12th game this season of nine-plus assists, dishing out nine helpers in addition to six points, and four rebounds.
SCOUTING MICHIGAN
Entering the week at No. 7 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll, Michigan (20-4, 11-2 B1G) pushed No. 2 UCLA to the brink last Sunday, dropping a narrow 69-66 decision to the visiting Bruins at Crisler Center. The loss snapped a nine-game win streak against Big Ten Conference foes for the Wolverines.
Led by the pairing of Olivia Olson (18.8 ppg) and Syla Swords (14.0 ppg), Michigan pours in a Big Ten-best 86.9 points per game. The Wolverines, who rank fifth nationally in the aforementioned category, outscore opponents by an average of just under 25 points per contest. Head coach Kim Barnes Arico's team has barely skipped a beat since the start of Big Ten play, averaging 84.9 points across its 13 league matchups.
Named the Big Ten's Co-Freshman of the Year in 2024-25, Olson has scored 20-plus points in five straight games, a run highlighted by a career-high 27-point outing against Indiana on January 29.
Swords has enjoyed an equally impressive sophomore campaign, drilling a team-high 56 attempts from beyond the three-point arc en route to scoring in double figures 18 times.
SERIES STUFF
Thursday will mark the 84th installment of the rivalry between Northwestern and Michigan in women's basketball. Winners of the last three matchups, the Wolverines own a slim 42-41 (.506) edge in an all-time series that traces its roots back to a 92-50 Michigan victory on February 18, 1976.
When the two teams met last season at Crisler Center, Northwestern took a one-point lead with just over three minutes remaining, but Michigan closed regulation on an 8-1 tear to fend off the Wildcats, 60-54. Kyla Jones paced the Wildcats in the setback, finishing with 14 points.
UP NEXT
Northwestern faces a quick turnaround, as it heads east to State College, Pa. on Sunday, February 15 to take on Penn State in a 3 p.m. CT tip-off that will air on Big Ten Network.
LAST TIME OUT
Grace Sullivan and Casey Harter both reached the 20-point mark as visiting USC dealt Northwestern an 83-65 defeat last Thursday at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Sullivan operated at a 10-of-17 clip from the field en route to leading all scorers with 24 points, her 16th outing with 20-plus points this season. Against Big Ten Conference opposition, Sullivan has averaged 23.8 points per outing, a mark that is tied for second on the league leaderboard in the category.
Harter finished just one point shy of matching her career high scoring output, putting up 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting, knocking down a pair of attempts from beyond the three-point arc. Currently in the midst of a stretch that has seen her score in double figures in five of the Wildcats' last seven games, Harter is averaging 12.7 points since scoring a career-best 21 points against Rutgers on January 11.
Caroline Lau tallied her 12th game this season of nine-plus assists, dishing out nine helpers in addition to six points, and four rebounds.
SCOUTING MICHIGAN
Entering the week at No. 7 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll, Michigan (20-4, 11-2 B1G) pushed No. 2 UCLA to the brink last Sunday, dropping a narrow 69-66 decision to the visiting Bruins at Crisler Center. The loss snapped a nine-game win streak against Big Ten Conference foes for the Wolverines.
Led by the pairing of Olivia Olson (18.8 ppg) and Syla Swords (14.0 ppg), Michigan pours in a Big Ten-best 86.9 points per game. The Wolverines, who rank fifth nationally in the aforementioned category, outscore opponents by an average of just under 25 points per contest. Head coach Kim Barnes Arico's team has barely skipped a beat since the start of Big Ten play, averaging 84.9 points across its 13 league matchups.
Named the Big Ten's Co-Freshman of the Year in 2024-25, Olson has scored 20-plus points in five straight games, a run highlighted by a career-high 27-point outing against Indiana on January 29.
Swords has enjoyed an equally impressive sophomore campaign, drilling a team-high 56 attempts from beyond the three-point arc en route to scoring in double figures 18 times.
SERIES STUFF
Thursday will mark the 84th installment of the rivalry between Northwestern and Michigan in women's basketball. Winners of the last three matchups, the Wolverines own a slim 42-41 (.506) edge in an all-time series that traces its roots back to a 92-50 Michigan victory on February 18, 1976.
When the two teams met last season at Crisler Center, Northwestern took a one-point lead with just over three minutes remaining, but Michigan closed regulation on an 8-1 tear to fend off the Wildcats, 60-54. Kyla Jones paced the Wildcats in the setback, finishing with 14 points.
UP NEXT
Northwestern faces a quick turnaround, as it heads east to State College, Pa. on Sunday, February 15 to take on Penn State in a 3 p.m. CT tip-off that will air on Big Ten Network.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's BasketballWomen's Basketball - USC Postgame Press Conference
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