Northern Michigan University’s Cal Klesmit, left, leans into Purdue Northwest’s Ahlante Askew while driving for the basket during their GLIAC men’s basketball game played at Vandament Arena in Marquette on Jan. 22. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

ALLENDALE — It was both the best and worst of all scenarios for the men’s basketball team at Northern Michigan University on Thursday night in the Lower Peninsula.

Bad in that the nationally ranked Wildcats lost to Grand Valley State 85-80 at the Lakers’ gym in Allendale.

But it was good because Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference co-leader NMU didn’t lose its share of the lead after the other co-leader, nationally ranked Michigan Tech, lost at fifth-place Davenport 82-79 at the same time.

Then it was bad again since now NMU, instead of being a co-leader, is technically a tri-leader, with GVSU joining the logjam atop the conference, all three teams with 9-2 records. Northern and MTU are also 18-3 overall, while the Lakers are 16-3 in all games.

No other team is closer than two in the loss column with nine games remaining in the league season. At 6-4, that’s Ferris State, which the Wildcats don’t face again until Feb. 21 in Big Rapids.

In the meantime, national No. 10 Northern takes the short trek to Grand Rapids to face upset-minded Davenport at 3 p.m. today.

In Thursday’s game in Allendale, the lead changed hands 11 times with 11 ties, though the home-team Lakers held the lead throughout the game’s final 16 minutes. But NMU’s deficit never reached double digits down the stretch after neither team had an advantage of more than four points throughout the first half.

Cal Klesmit led Wildcats scorers with 17 points as he made 5 of 9 on 3-pointers and 2 of 2 free throws while handing out three assists.

Teammates Dylan Kuehl, Jackson Dudek and Sam Privet all pitched in with 12 points with Privet making 10 of 12 free throws. Dudek and Kuehl each dished out three assists as Dudek grabbed five rebounds and Kuehl blocked three shots.

And Northern’s Bennett Basich chipped in with 10 points, making 3 of 3 free throws, while grabbing a team-high eight rebounds.

Grand Valley’s Ethan Alderink led all scorers with 23 points as he and teammate Jalen Charity each made 8 of 10 free throws.

While the Lakers decisively outshot their guests, 54% to 37%, NMU held a 36-29 rebounding edge.

Both teams made frequent stops at the free-throw line, combining to take 61 of those clock-stopped shots on 47 fouls. The Wildcats made 24 of 27 (89%) at the line while the Lakers were good on 27 of 34 (79%) as Northern was called for 24 fouls and GVSU 23.

Three players on each side finished with at least four fouls, including Privet the only player to actually foul out.

When Brooks Hinson hit a 3-pointer with 12:05 left in the first half, Northern took an 18-16 lead, already the fourth time the lead had changed hands.

The Wildcats kept that lead for about four minutes until Charity hit a 3 with 7:56 left to make it 24-24.

While NMU only had a brief lead after that, the game was tied seven more times before halftime as Grand Valley settled for a 41-39 lead at intermission.

The Wildcats had one more short-lived lead early in the second half after Klesmit hit a triple and made a free throw to put them on top 45-43 with 17:38 to go.

But following an Alderink layup to tie it, Charity made a free throw with 16:15 remaining for a 46-45 GVSU lead it wouldn’t relinquish.

The Lakers built their lead to as many as eight points, the final time at 65-57 with 8:16 left on a Charity 3.

Northern did whittle the deficit to a single point, 66-65, with 5:34 to go after a pair of Privet free throws. And even in the final minute, NMU got within two points, 78-76, on a Basich layup with 49 seconds left and again within three points, 83-80, with 1 second remaining on a Dudek layup.

Grand Valley St. 85, NMU 80

Thursday at Allendale

Summary (field goals, free throws, total points)

NORTHERN MICHIGAN — Klesmit 5-2-17, Kuehl 4-4-12, Dudek 5-1-12, Basich 3-3-10, Miller 1-0-3, Privet 1-10-12, Hinson 2-0-6, Polite 0-4-4, Allen 2-0-4. Totals 23-24-80.

GRAND VALLEY STATE — Alderink 7-8-23, Charity 5-8-20, Docks 3-5-13, Wilkerson 2-1-5, Thompson 1-1-3, Smith 4-0-9, Allen 3-0-8, Turner 0-2-2, Otten 0-2-2. Totals 25-27-85.

Halftime score: Grand Valley 41-39

FG shooting: NMU 23 of 62 (37.1 percent), Grand Valley 25 of 46 (54.3 percent); 3-point shooting: NMU 10 of 27 (37.0 percent), Grand Valley 8 of 19 (42.1 percent); FT shooting: NMU 24 of 27 (88.9 percent), Grand Valley 27 of 34 (79.4 percent); Rebounding, NMU 36 (Bennett Basich 8), Grand Valley 29 (Shamus Thompson 8); Assists, NMU 14 (3 players with 3 each), Grand Valley 10 (Jalen Charity and Trevor Smith Jr. 3 each); Steals, NMU 5 (5 players with 1 each), Grand Valley 6 (Mason Docks and David Wilkerson 2 each); Turnovers, NMU 9, Grand Valley 11.

Story contents based on Northern Michigan University Sports Information press release reviewing the game. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.