Northern Michigan University’s Mackenzie Holzwart, right, works the ball against Grand Valley State’s Hadley Miller in their GLIAC women’s game played at the Berry Events Center in Marquette on Jan. 19. (Photo courtesy NMU)

ALLENDALE — The Northern Michigan University women’s basketball team ran into a buzzsaw at nationally ranked Grand Valley State on Saturday as the Lakers prevailed 64-52.

NMU (13-11 overall), which remains in fifth place in the GLIAC at 8-7, fell behind by 25 points before cutting its deficit to single digits late in the game.

While the Wildcats didn’t slip in the standings, they are now two losses behind fourth-place Saginaw Valley State (9-5) in the race for the fourth and final home court berth in the first-round quarterfinals of the upcoming conference tournament.

NMU has just three games remaining in the regular season, including two at home this week against third-place Wisconsin-Parkside at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and eighth-place Purdue Northwest at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Northern’s Mackenzie Holzwart was Saturday’s top scorer with just 14 points as she made 5 of 7 shots from the field, including her only 3-point attempt, and 3 of 5 free throws while also recording game highs of four steals and three assists to go with four rebounds.

The Wildcats’ regular top scorer, Makaylee Kuhn, had nine points and a team-high seven rebounds, while Kayla Tierney added eight points, including a pair of triples.

Hadley Miller paced the Lakers (22-2, 13-1) with 10 points as teammate Rylie Bisballe pulled down 10 rebounds to go with nine points.

After GVSU jumped out to a 4-0 lead, NMU got baskets from Kuhn, Jende and a 3-pointer by Sarah Newcomer to go up 7-6 with 5:28 left in the opening quarter.

After Holzwart and Abi Fraaza also hit jumpers 45 seconds apart, Northern’s lead was up to 11-6 with 3:04 left in the first.

Then the Lakers scored the final eight points of the period to take a 14-11 advantage headed to quarter No. 2.

The Wildcats kept their deficit in single digits until the Lakers’ Emily Spitzley hit a 3 with 3:19 left in the first half to make it 29-19, which became 38-21 by intermission.

Grand Valley kept working its lead up until it reached 25 points, 50-25, with 3:44 left in the third on a Hannah Kulas free throw.

Northern whittled the deficit back to 54-35 by quarter’s end, then finally got it back to less than 10 points, 59-50, with 52 seconds remaining on a Tierney 3-pointer.

They would add a couple free throws by Holzwart 11 seconds later to get within 59-52, but NMU wouldn’t score again.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.