Northwestern outscored Minnesota 20-14 in the fourth quarter. Walton went a perfect 3-for-3 from deep en route to scoring 11 of her 17 total points. Sullivan and Amparo López chipped in four points each, and Tate Lash added a free throw.

Michigan State got a career-night out of Carson Cooper, who finished with 18 points and nine rebounds. Fears starred for the Spartans in the second half after a rough start, finishing the night with 15 points and five assists. Jaxon Kohler was his consistent scoring and rebounds machine self with 15 points and eight rebounds as well.

Northwestern took the lead with 10:44 remaining in the first half and did not trail again. Martinelli scored 21 points in the second half to lead the way as Northwestern went on to secure a victory, outscoring Howard by 17 points in the second half.

Cade Tyson scored 24 points, and Minnesota pulled away late for an 84-78 victory over Northwestern on Saturday at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston.

Michigan State would come up with a 76-66 victory over the Wildcats. The first half for the Spartans was rough to watch. Tournovers and missed free throws will be the stroy of the whole game. However in the end, Michigan State figured it out in the second half and played a much better game to pull away with the win.

Expert recap and game analysis of the Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Northwestern Wildcats NCAAW game from January 5, 2026 on ESPN.

I would be surprised if this game is decided by more than one score. Both Minnesota and Northwestern have performed at a similar level throughout the season. I expect the Gophers to have every chance to win, but it's simply hard to trust a team that has lost all four of their road games by an average of 29.8 points.