Northern Michigan University’s Sydney Whitehouse, center, drives to the net while defended by Michigan Tech's Ella Mason, left, and Kloe Zentkowski during their GLIAC Tournament quarterfinal game played at Vandament Arena in Marquette on March 4. Mason is a Negaunee High School graduate. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

ALLENDALE — The women’s basketball team at Northern Michigan University couldn’t extend its string to three straight years with a win in the NCAA Division II national tournament after losing to Wayne State in its opener on Friday.

The Wildcats’ foe from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference posted a 77-61 victory to advance to the Midwest Region semifinals, though Wayne State bowed out the next day, 90-70, at regional No. 1 seed Grand Valley State.

GVSU was scheduled to meet Northwood in the regional championship game on Monday evening.

On Saturday, NMU, which finished at 25-8, trailed throughout the first half before taking the lead for the first time with 2:49 remaining in the second quarter, 28-26, on a Sydney Whitehouse layup.

Leading 30-29 at halftime, the Wildcats kept that lead for most of the third quarter, going up by as many as five points, 38-33, with 8:07 left when Jacy Weisbrod completed a “traditional” three-point play, making a jump shot and subsequent free throw.

It became a one-possession game with several lead changes and ties until the Warriors (24-7) went on a 9-0 run in the last three minutes of the third, taking a 53-48 lead headed into the fourth.

While Northern’s Sarah Newcomer got her team back within a possession, 53-51, with a 3-pointer 39 seconds into the final period, Wayne State soon started pulling away, building a double-digit lead at 64-53 with 5:12 left on a Gabi Lutchka triple.

It soon bulged to 20 points, 77-57, with 1:48 left when WSU’s McKenna Ferguson sank a pair of free throws.

Whitehouse made a pair of layups in the Wildcats’ final 80 seconds of the season to make the final score closer.

Coming off the bench and playing 24 minutes, Whitehouse led NMU scorers with 15 points, hitting a 3-pointer, while also grabbing a game-high nine rebounds and not committing a turnover.

In fact, Northern’s bench accounted for 33 of its 61 points, including 20 of 30 in the first half.

Newcomer, the only starter to score in double figures, added 11 points, hitting a trio of triples, with three rebounds and two blocked shots, while Faith Walder added 10 points in just 14 minutes off the bench.

Weisbrod managed just five points, making 2 of 10 from the field, including 0 of 5 on 3s, while grabbing five rebounds.

The Warriors’ Ferguson led all scorers with 21 points, hitting 8 of 8 free throws and adding eight steals and five rebounds. All other players on both teams combined had just seven steals.

While a number of statistics were fairly even, Northern committed twice as many turnovers, 16-8, as Wayne State made 11 steals. The Warriors also shot twice as well on 3s, 42% (8 of 19) to 21% (6 of 29).

Wayne St. 77, NMU 61

Friday at Allendale

NCAA Division II Midwest Region first round

Summary (field goals, free throws, total points)

NORTHERN MICHIGAN — Newcomer 4-0-11, Weisbrod 2-1-5, Romero 1-2-5, Pytleski 2-0-5, Hill 1-0-2, Whitehouse 7-0-15, Walder 4-2-10, Schmittdiel 2-0-4, Schroeder 2-0-4. Totals 25-5-61.

WAYNE STATE — Ferguson 6-8-21, Tubergen 5-2-15, Lutchka 4-2-14, Thompson 4-1-9, Gordon 1-2-4, Rickli 3-2-8, Sylvester 3-0-6. Totals 26-17-77.

Score by quarters:

Northern Michigan 12 18 18 13 — 61

Wayne State 16 13 24 24 — 77

FG shooting: NMU 25 of 61 (41.0 percent), Wayne State 26 of 65 (40 percent); 3-point shooting: NMU 6 of 29 (20.7 percent), Wayne State 8 of 19 (42.1 percent); FT shooting: NMU 5 of 5 (100 percent), Wayne State 17 of 20 (85 percent); Rebounding, NMU 37 (Sydney Whitehouse 9), Wayne State 38 (Jaci Tubergen and Gabi Lutchka 7 each); Assists, NMU 8 (Alyssa Hill and CJ Romero 3 each), Wayne State 9 (Taylor Thompson 6); Steals, NMU 4 (4 players with 1 each), Wayne State 11 (McKenna Ferguson 8); Turnovers, NMU 16, Wayne State 8.

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