Northern Michigan University’s Alyssa Hill, left, is triple teamed while going up for a shot during a GLIAC game played against Wisconsin-Parkside at Vandament Arena in Marquette on Feb. 28. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

MARQUETTE — The national tournament fate of the women’s basketball team at Northern Michigan University rested in the hands of the NCAA selection committee after the Wildcats lost in the semifinals of its conference tournament on Saturday afternoon.

National No. 2 Grand Valley State handed NMU a 66-38 loss to end Northern’s run in that particular tournament.

As the fourth-place team in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference during the regular season, the Wildcats’ NCAA fate was much in doubt as the team and its fans awaited word during the NCAA Selection Show that was being held Sunday evening.

Despite being ranked No. 21 in the country, NMU was a decided underdog on Saturday to a No. 1-seeded Grand Valley team that improved to 29-1, having gone into February before losing for the first — and so far only — time.

Even if Northern’s season ended with this game, its 25-7 record is the most wins by the team since the 1999-2000 season.

But it wasn’t to be on Saturday, even as the Wildcats stayed within a single point after one quarter. After that, though, the Lakers pulled away more and more the longer the game went on.

GVSU was able to stifle NMU’s best offensive weapon, Jacy Weisbrod, throughout the season. On this day, the Lakers really did a number on her, holding the senior to no points on 0-of-13 shooting from the field, including 0 of 7 on 3-pointers. Weisbrod did manage two assists, a steal and a rebound with no turnovers in 31 minutes court time.

In three games this season vs. Grand Valley — the other two Wildcats’ 78-66 and 70-47 losses in the regular season — Weisbrod totaled just 10 points in all, making 3 of 31 shots overall, including 1 of 17 triples.

Instead, on Saturday NMU found its best offense from Negaunee product Alyssa Hill, who scored a team-high 12 points by making 5 of 6 shots from the field and 2 of 2 free throws, then matched her point total with a dozen rebounds while making no turnovers, all in just 19 minutes court time as she also finished with four fouls.

Northern’s Sarah Newcomer added 10 points, including a pair of 3s, with three rebounds and two assists. The only other Wildcat with more than three points was Sydney Whitehouse with seven.

NMU struggled with its shooting while also being outrebounded 46-32. Northern made just 27% overall from the field, 16 of 60, and a paltry 12.5% on 3s, 3 of 24. By comparison, GVSU hit 43% from the field, 25 of 58, and hit a solid 39% on triples, 5 of 13.

The Lakers’ MacKenzie Bisballe led all scorers with 19 points, while Escanaba product Nicole Kamin joined Paige Vanstee with 10 points apiece for GVSU.

The teams traded the lead five times in the opening quarter, Grand Valley finishing it ahead just 16-15. After Newcomer (a triple) and Whitehouse hit early baskets, Hill made four layups in a row for the Wildcats in a span of just over three minutes, then added two free throws just before the quarter ended.

NMU never scored 10 points in a quarter the rest of the game even as Northern’s Addison Pytleski gave her team its last lead, 20-19, by making a 3 with 6:47 left in the first half.

After that, the Lakers finished the half with a 12-4 burst to go ahead 31-24 at the break.

The home team quickly attained its first double-digit lead, 35-24, with 7:13 left in the third on a Vanstee layup and were up 50-31 by quarter’s end. Northern never got closer than that margin in the final 10 minutes.

In Saturday’s other GLIAC semifinal, No. 3 seed Ferris State outscored No. 2 Wayne State 104-86. Ferris improved to 26-5 with the victory while the Warriors’ GLIAC tourney run ended at 23-7.

Looking purely at records, NMU had the third-most wins in the league, though Wayne State, two wins behind the Wildcats, has one big feather in its cap after handing Grand Valley its only loss entering Sunday.

Grand Valley 66, NMU 38

GLIAC Tournament semifinals

Saturday at Allendale

Summary (field goals, free throws, total points)

NORTHERN MICHIGAN — Hill 5-2-12, Newcomer 4-0-10, Pytleski 1-0-3, Whitehouse 3-1-7, Schmittdiel 1-0-2, Walder 1-0-2, Showen 1-0-2. Totals 16-3-38.

GRAND VALLEY STATE — Bisballe 7-4-19, Kamin 4-1-10, Vanstee 5-0-10, Scanlon 4-1-9, Zeinstra 1-3-6, Lay 2-0-4, Dillard 1-0-3, Cherney 1-0-3, Davis 0-2-2. Totals 25-11-66.

Score by quarters:

Northern Michigan 15 9 7 7 — 38

Grand Valley State 16 15 19 16 — 66

FG shooting: NMU 16 of 60 (26.7 percent), Grand Valley 25 of 58 (43.1 percent); 3-point shooting: NMU 3 of 24 (12.5 percent), Grand Valley 5 of 13 (38.5 percent); FT shooting: NMU 3 of 4 (75 percent), Grand Valley 11 of 14 (78.6 percent); Rebounding, NMU 32 (Alyssa Hill 12), Grand Valley 46 (Paige Vanstee 9); Assists, NMU 7 (CJ Romero 3), Grand Valley 13 (Molly Anderson 5); Steals, NMU 5 (Jordyn Schmittdiel 2), Grand Valley 6 (Anayya Davis 2); Turnovers, NMU 11, 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.