EVANSTON Ill. -- — Jaloni Cambridge scored 22 points and No. 23 Ohio State overcame a slow start and Grace Sullivan to beat Northwestern 79-70 on Sunday in a Big Ten Conference opener.

Cambridge made 10 of 19 shots before fouling out for the Buckeyes (7-1).

Kylee Kitts scored 18 and T'yana Todd hit three of Ohio State's four 3-pointers and scored 13.

Sullivan scored a career-high 37 points for the Wildcats (6-3) after coming in with a 22.8 average, 10th best in the nation. Sullivan made 17 of 28 shots and all three of her free throws. She added eight rebounds and three steals. Casey Harter had 11 points and Xamiya Walton scored 10 for Northwestern.

Sullivan outscored Ohio State in the first quarter with 14 of Northwestern's 16 points in taking a six-point lead.

Northwestern maintained a lead until Ava Watson hit a 3-pointer following a Cambridge layup to put Ohio State ahead 28-25 with 1:26 left in the second period. Todd added a 3-pointer, Elsa Lemmila tipped in a miss and the Buckeyes led by eight at halftime.

Harter hit a 3-pointer to end a Northwestern scoring drought that reached 6:45, and Caroline Lau hit from deep to cut it to 35-31 with 7:42 left in the third quarter.

Cambridge hit a jumper, Kitts had a three-point play and Chance Gray turned her steal into a layup to cap a 7-0 run. The Buckeyes led 61-47 heading to the fourth and by double digits until the final 12 seconds.

Up next

Ohio State: Hosts Northern Kentucky on Thursday.

Northwestern: At Utah on Sunday riding three-game losing streak.

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