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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - All five Illinois starters scored in double figures for the first time this season but the Fighting Illini went without a field goal for over five minutes near the end of the game as Northwestern pulled out a 68-67 win at State Farm Center Thursday night. Brittany Carter led the way with 15 points and Jacqui Grant had her first double-double of the season with 13 points and 12 rebounds as Illinois dropped its fourth straight, falling to 11-8 on the season, 2-5 in the Big Ten.

"I just hurt for our team," Illinois head coach Matt Bollant said. "I felt like we got off to a slow start and then we played really hard to get back in the game and build a 10-point lead. Then we just didn't make the right plays to finish the game. Give Northwestern credit. The two threes that (Wildcat guard Maggie) Lyon hit were big and we didn't do a good job of keeping them off the foul line. I thought we lacked a little bit of smarts down the stretch.

"I thought we battled and fought, and did some things to put ourselves in position. But we played a little bit not to lose down the stretch instead of being aggressive and going after it."

Chatrice White added 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting, six rebounds and four steals, while Amarah Coleman notched her third double-digit scoring game in the last four with 14 points. She also had seven rebounds, four assists and three steals in a career-high 37 minutes. Kyley Simmons rounded out the five Illini scorers in double figures with 11 points on 3-of-6 three-pointers.

The one-point margin was fitting for a game that featured 10 ties and 12 lead changes, and saw Northwestern lead for 16:49 and the Illini for 15:08.

Illinois shot 41 percent (25-of-61) for the game, including 9-of-20 (45 percent) from three-point range. Northwestern shot 39.7 percent (23-of-58) and 7-of-22 (31.8 percent) from the arc. It marked just the second time this season the Illini have lost while out-shooting an opponent from the floor.

Illinois out-rebounded Northwestern 39-33, marking the first Big Ten opponent the Illini have bested on the boards this season. But UI committed 24 turnovers and the Wildcats turned those into 29 points. And NU hit 15-of-22 (68.2 percent) free throws, while the Illini were just 8-of-13 (61.5 percent) from the line.

Illinois led 6-3 after treys by Brittany Carter and Kyley Simmons but Northwestern scored the next four points to go ahead 7-6 at the first media timeout. The Illini scored the next four points but Northwestern responded with a 6-0 run, converting two Illinois turnovers into layups, to go ahead 13-10 before Jacqui Grant drained a trey that tied the game at 13.

Northwestern used a 10-1 run to pull ahead 23-14 before Simmons drilled a three from the right wing. The Cats expanded their lead as wide as 13 points before Coleman got it to White for a layup then found Grant darting to the hoop for a layup on the next possession.

That ignited a 13-0 Illini run as Illinois forced six straight Northwestern turnovers to tie the game at 30. A Coleman trey put Illinois up one but the Wildcats scored the last four of the half on a fast-break layup and two free throws to lead UI 36-33 at half.

The Illini scored three quick points to tie the game up. The teams traded buckets until Northwestern led 41-40 and Carter made jumpers on consecutive possessions to go ahead 44-41. NU's Christen Inman hit a three to tie it but Illinois responded with a 10-0 run. White stepped out and hit a three, Coleman got a layup off a fast break and Simmons drained a trey from the right wing. After a Wildcat turnover, Grant fed White from the high post for a nifty up-and-under move and a 54-44 lead.

After the teams traded baskets, that's when Northwestern began to chip away. Nia Coffey hit a pair of jumpers around a missed shot by Carter, pulling NU within six. Coleman got a layup but Grant was whistled for a foul and Coffey hit both free throws after the under-8 media timeout. After a missed shot by Grant, Lyon found Alex Cohen for a layup. White fouled her and Cohen converted the three-point play, pulling the Wildcats within three, 58-55.

The Illini had an empty possession but forced a turnover and Simmons hit a jumper with her foot on the arc to push the lead back to 60-55 with 5:44 left. Northwestern missed the front end of a one-and-one, got the rebound and missed a jumper, with Grant clearing the board. But Carter missed a trey and Nia Oden fouled Lyon, who made 1-of-2.

After a Coleman turnover, Karly Roser found Lyon for a three-pointer, cutting the margin to 60-59 with 4:26 to go. Roser then drew a foul and hit both freebies after the final media timeout, putting Northwestern on top 61-60.

But Carter drew a foul on Roser on a three-point attempt and calmly sank all three from the stripe, putting Illinois back on top, 63-61. After Illinois got a stop, Grant drew a foul and made 1-of-2 at the line for a three-point lead - 64-61 - with 3:08 remaining.

Illinois left Lyon open on the right wing, though, and she sank the trey to tie the game with 2:31 on the clock. The teams traded empty possessions then Grant was called for an illegal screen and Christen Inman hit a jumper to put the 'Cats up 66-64 with just under a minute left.

Simmons had a great look at a trey from the left wing but it rimmed out. Grant got the offensive board but her put-back attempt was short and Northwestern cleared the rebound. Coleman got a steal on the other end but shuffled her feet when the Wildcat defender closed out on her as she tried to run out on a fast break, giving Northwestern the ball with 30 seconds left.

Illinois had to foul but couldn't make contact with a Northwestern player before finally finding Inman, who made both free throws for a 68-64 lead. Oden's three-pointer attempt from the left corner missed but Coleman grabbed the board and drained one from the right wing at the buzzer to make the final score 68-67.