Northwestern 69, Ohio State 55 | Wildcats pull away late to defeat Buckeyes in women’s basketball

Big Ten co-leader Northwestern pieced together two decisive runs turned a close game into a 69-55 rout of Ohio State on Tuesday night at Value City Arena.

Abi Schied scored 19 points and Lindsey Pulliam added 16 to pace 14th-ranked Northwestern (25-3, 14-2), which is seeking its first Big Ten title since 1990. The Wildcats, winners of eight straight games, shot 56% from the field (27 of 48).

Dorka Juhasz recorded her third straight double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds to lead Ohio State (17-11, 10-7), which shot just 35 percent (19 of 55).

>> Photos from the Ohio State-Northwestern game

The Buckeyes trailed just 47-45, but the Wildcats went on an 11-0 un, and never looked back during a dominant fourth quarter.

The first half was nip and tuck, with neither team building a lead of more than six points.

Ohio State hit its first chilly spell — going the final 4:33 of the half without a basket — and went to the locker room trailing 36-33. That slump extended in the fourth minute of the third quarter as the Wildcats built their lead to six.

Closing on a 9-0 run, which included a buzzer-beating 35-foot bank shot by Pulliam, the Wildcats took a 56-45 lead to the fourth quarter and were never threatened from there.

Northwestern, which came in allowing just 56.7 points per game (second best in the Big Ten), made things tough for Ohio State with pesky on-ball defense.

sblackledge@dispatch.com

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