From left, Northern Michigan University’s Ana Rhude keeps the ball away from a pair of Grand Valley State defenders, Rylie Bisballe and Lexi Plitzuweit, during the GLIAC Tournament championship game in women’s basketball held at the Lakers’ gym in Allendale on Sunday. (Photo courtesy NMU)

ALLENDALE — The Northern Michigan University women’s basketball team made it to the GLIAC Tournament championship game for the first time in five seasons, but couldn’t overcome the No. 2 team in the nation to capture the title and automatic berth to the NCAA Division II Tournament that comes with it.

The Wildcats were waiting on pins and needles awaiting their fate in the nationals on Sunday night, when announcements would be made about the field.

NMU, which stands at 21-9 overall after compiling a 13-5 GLIAC record, overachieved its No. 3 seeding status by knocking off No. 2 seed Ferris State 63-56 in one semifinal on Saturday afternoon, also in Allendale. GVSU won the other semi 72-59 over No. 5 Wisconsin-Parkside.

In the championship game on Sunday, Grand Valley prevailed over Northern 67-48.

Here are details from each game over the weekend:

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NMU 63, Ferris State 56

On Saturday afternoon, the Wildcats got contributions across the board as they made up a four-point deficit after one quarter by outscoring the Bulldogs in every quarter after that.

Jacy Weisbrod led Northern with 16 points, making three 3-pointers, grabbing four rebounds and not committing a turnover in 31 minutes court time.

She scored half her points — eight — in the game’s first four minutes to keep NMU in range.

Teammate Sarah Newcomer added 15 points with a pair of 3s and four rebounds, while Makalyee Kuhn scored 12 points, pulling in five rebounds to go with three assists as she was 4 of 4 on free throws.

And Mackenzie Holzwart stuffed the stats sheet. To go with her nine points, she accumulated 10 rebounds and a team-high five assists while making the team’s only steal. And Abi Fraaza grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds to go with seven points in just 19 minutes on the court.

Weisbrod made Northern’s only two baskets of the opening quarter as the Wildcats were a shivering 2 of 15 from the field then. But they only trailed 14-10 entering the second quarter before opening that period on a 8-0 run with 3s from Newcomer and Holzwart and a 2 by Ana Rhude.

NMU’s lead expanded to double digits, 25-15, with 3:06 left on a Holzwart jumper, though the No. 10 Bulldogs finished the first half on an 8-0 run to get within 25-23 at halftime.

The Wildcats again expanded the lead to double digits three times in the third quarter, the last 38-27 with 4:35 left on a Weisbrod jumper, before Ferris narrowed its deficit to 43-38 entering the final period.

But the Bulldogs could never get it back to a one-possession game as NMU again got its lead back into double digits before settling for the seven-point victory.

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Grand Valley 67, NMU 48

On Sunday afternoon, the 29-2 Lakers built a 40-29 halftime lead and kept increasing the advantage throughout the second half.

GVSU had especially big advantages in rebounding, 42-23, and free throws, making 14 of 15 to just 4 of 7 for the Wildcats.

Rhude led NMU scorers with 13 points as she also blocked three shots and made three steals, while Weisbrod and Kuhn added 11 points apiece. Weisbrod was 3 of 5 on triples and had three steals.

The Lakers built a 15-5 lead with 2:31 left in the opening quarter before the Wildcats pulled to within 18-13 entering the second. In the late stretch of the first quarter to get back in the game, Weisbrod and Newcomer both hit 3s while Rhude made a layup.

GV steadily upped its lead throughout the second, going ahead 27-17 with 6:30 left and getting up by as many as 14, 38-24, with 2:26 to go on a Paige Vanstee traditional three-point play.

While Northern got back within 40-29 at halftime, the Lakers had a late third-quarter spurt to go ahead 54-37 entering the final 10 minutes.

NMU could only get as close as 15 points early in the fourth before GVSU expanded its advantage beyond 20 points by game’s end.

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