ROSEMONT, Ill. (Interstat) — A dominant first-quarter performance and a career-high 26 points from Grace Sullivan propelled the Northwestern Wildcats to a 79-72 victory over the DePaul Blue Demons in a nonconference women’s basketball game Monday afternoon at Allstate Arena.

Northwestern (4-0) raced out to a 29-15 lead after the opening period and withstood a late charge from DePaul (1-3) to remain undefeated on the young season. The Wildcats led by as many as 18 points in the second half before the Blue Demons mounted a comeback, cutting the deficit to just four points in the final minutes.

Sullivan, a 6-foot-4 forward from Antioch, Illinois, was nearly unstoppable in the paint, adding nine rebounds, four assists and two blocks to her scoring total in 36 minutes of action. She was complemented perfectly by guard Caroline Lau, who orchestrated the offense with 20 points and nine assists. The duo’s inside-outside combination proved too much for DePaul to handle for long stretches.

The Wildcats also controlled the glass, with Tayla Thomas hauling in a game-high 18 rebounds to go with her 11 points, providing crucial second-chance opportunities and limiting DePaul’s possessions.

Despite the early deficit, DePaul refused to go quietly. The Blue Demons chipped away throughout the second half and used a 24-point fourth quarter to make it a game. Kate Novik led the charge for DePaul with 18 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Natiah Nelson added 16 points and nine rebounds, while Aizhanique Mayo contributed 11 points off the bench.

DePaul’s pressure defense forced 21 Northwestern turnovers, fueling their late-game surge. A key sequence saw the Blue Demons trim the Wildcats’ lead to 69-65 with under two minutes to play. However, Sullivan answered with a crucial hook shot in the lane on the ensuing possession to push the lead back to six and stifle the comeback attempt.

Free throws ultimately sealed the game for Northwestern, as they converted key attempts in the final minute to keep DePaul at bay. The Wildcats finished the game shooting 46 percent from the field, while holding DePaul to 39 percent shooting.

The announced attendance for the crosstown matchup was 9,526.

Northwestern will look to continue its winning streak when it hosts Cleveland State on Friday. DePaul, which has now lost three straight after a season-opening win, will aim to get back on track at home against Grambling, also on Friday.