EVANSTON, Ill. (January 25, 2026) — Senior forward Grace Sullivan recorded a team-high 21 points and grabbed four rebounds as Northwestern fell, 80-46, to No. 3 UCLA on Sunday afternoon in Welsh-Ryan Arena.
The Wildcats (8-12, 2-7 Big Ten) were within striking distance early but couldn't outpace a powerful paint performance from the Bruins (19-1, 9-0 Big Ten).
"We were ready to play," Head Coach Joe McKeown said. "The first quarter was where we wanted it to be, I felt like the pace was right. And then, we just hit a buzzsaw. We've seen them do it to almost everybody they have played."
In addition to a stellar scoring showing from Sullivan, who has tallied at least 15 points in each of her five Big Ten home games, sophomore guard Xamiya Walton turned in nine points on 3-of-5 shooting. Walton excelled from long range, converting all of her points from three-point land.
Senior guard Caroline Lau ran the floor with five points, eight rebounds, and seven assists.
Northwestern forced UCLA into 13 turnovers and held the visitors to a season-low 23.5% clip from beyond the arc. The Bruins' three-point percentage marked their lowest in a regular-season conference game since Feb. 23, 2025 against Iowa.
Walton drained a pair of first-quarter triples — including a shot at the buzzer — to help pace Northwestern's early offensive effort. After 10 minutes of action, the Bruins led, 21-14.
Although Sullivan knocked down 3-of-4 second-quarter shots en route to six points in the frame, UCLA stretched its lead to 46-22 heading into halftime.
The Bruins maintained their stronghold in the second half to remain undefeated in conference play.
"We can watch this, take a step back and understand that we need to get stronger in certain areas," Sullivan said. "We can make this a positive, a learning experience by just seeing what it takes."
The Wildcats will return to action on the road on Wednesday, Jan. 28 at Nebraska. Tipoff from Pinnacle Bank Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT.
The Wildcats (8-12, 2-7 Big Ten) were within striking distance early but couldn't outpace a powerful paint performance from the Bruins (19-1, 9-0 Big Ten).
"We were ready to play," Head Coach Joe McKeown said. "The first quarter was where we wanted it to be, I felt like the pace was right. And then, we just hit a buzzsaw. We've seen them do it to almost everybody they have played."
In addition to a stellar scoring showing from Sullivan, who has tallied at least 15 points in each of her five Big Ten home games, sophomore guard Xamiya Walton turned in nine points on 3-of-5 shooting. Walton excelled from long range, converting all of her points from three-point land.
Senior guard Caroline Lau ran the floor with five points, eight rebounds, and seven assists.
Northwestern forced UCLA into 13 turnovers and held the visitors to a season-low 23.5% clip from beyond the arc. The Bruins' three-point percentage marked their lowest in a regular-season conference game since Feb. 23, 2025 against Iowa.
Walton drained a pair of first-quarter triples — including a shot at the buzzer — to help pace Northwestern's early offensive effort. After 10 minutes of action, the Bruins led, 21-14.
Although Sullivan knocked down 3-of-4 second-quarter shots en route to six points in the frame, UCLA stretched its lead to 46-22 heading into halftime.
The Bruins maintained their stronghold in the second half to remain undefeated in conference play.
"We can watch this, take a step back and understand that we need to get stronger in certain areas," Sullivan said. "We can make this a positive, a learning experience by just seeing what it takes."
The Wildcats will return to action on the road on Wednesday, Jan. 28 at Nebraska. Tipoff from Pinnacle Bank Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT.