Even though all of the top four seeds earn home-court advantage in the opening-round quarterfinals of the tourney to be played on Wednesday, the No. 2 spot will be pivotal if top-seeded Grand Valley State falters in the quarters.

That’s because the highest remaining seed after the quarterfinal round earns the right to host the tourney semifinals and finals next weekend. While it would take the league’s No. 8-seeded team to travel to GVSU and knock off the nation’s No. 2 squad for that to happen, it’s not unprecedented — the Davenport men’s team in 2022 came from the No. 8 seed to knock off No. 1 Ferris State, then two more highly ranked teams, to win the tourney title that year.

As the No. 2 seed, NMU will host No. 7 on Wednesday, which a look at the standings shows will be either Michigan Tech or Saginaw Valley State depending on the outcome of their games today.

On Thursday, NMU trailed for almost all of the first three quarters, including 49-45 entering the fourth. Then the Wildcats hit three quick baskets to turn the tide. Sydney Whitehouse, Abi Fraaza and Mackenzie Holzwart each made a layup in the first two minutes of the fourth to give Northern a 51-49 lead.

Northern Michigan University’s Sarah Newcomer takes a shot during a women’s game played against Bemidji State at Vandament Arena in Marquette on Nov. 16. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

Except for a brief four-second stretch in the final minute, the score remained a one-possession difference the rest of the way.

NMU kept the lead for almost all that time, but the final score showed how close it remained.

After the Wildcats grabbed the lead early in the final period, Parkside tied it three times, the final time at 56-56, before the Rangers actually went back on top 58-57 after an Alli Hampel layup with 4:07 to go.

There were several more lead changes and ties to come before Northern put their final stamp on the outcome, taking the lead for good, 66-63, when Holzwart sank a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 47 seconds remaining.

NMU’s Sarah Newcomer made a pair of free throws with 28 seconds left to put her team on top, 68-64, and with a Jacy Weisbrod free throw a few seconds later, the Wildcats were able to survive two late baskets by Parkside’s Chloe Van Zeeland and Cassidy Arni.

Part of the reason this game was so important was that Northern and Parkside were separated by just one game entering Thursday. Another part was that the team NMU was tied with, Ferris State, lost to Wayne State 68-53 on Thursday, leaving the Wildcats alone in second place at 14-5, 20-7 overall.

With today’s 2 p.m. EST game at Purdue Northwest (6-21, 3-16 GLIAC) the final contest of the regular season, FSU is the only team that can catch Northern, but would lose out on a tiebreaker as the Wildcats posted wins of 27 and 30 points during the season over the Bulldogs.

If NMU had lost Thursday, three teams — the Wildcats, Ferris and Parkside — would all be tied for second, with Wayne State a game back in fifth. One of those four teams — and that could have been NMU — would end up as the No. 5 seed and go on the road for the quarterfinals.

That won’t be a worry now.

Fraaza came off the bench to lead all scorers with 20 points, her season high. Despite playing just 22 minutes, she was efficient in her time on the floor, making 9 of 11 shots from the field and 2 of 3 free throws, adding in a game-high nine rebounds along with two assists and two steals.

Holzwart pumped in 18 points, also her season high, making a triple, pulling down five rebounds, making three steals, dishing out two assists and even finding time to get a blocked shot.

Whitehouse also reached double figures with 11 points to go with two steals, while Newcomer had nine points and three steals.

Van Zeeland paced four Rangers players in double figures with 16 points, though she also committed six turnovers.

NMU survived a poor shooting night on 3-pointers, make just 2 of 15 (13%), by holding a 37-31 rebounding edge and committing six fewer fouls (21-15) and four fewer turnovers (18-14).

A different look at the numbers shows Northern with a 46-34 scoring advantage in the paint, much attributed to Fraaza.

At the game’s start, Northern took the first lead following a layup by Holzwart 41 seconds in. But that would be the Wildcats’ only lead until the midpoint of the second quarter.

Parkside scored the next 11 points on pair of baskets by Arni and another pair by Van Zeeland, three of the four 3-pointers, to take an 11-2 lead.

The Wildcats briefly brought their deficit to a single possession when Whitehouse sank a layup with 2:56 left in the opening period to make it 14-12.

After settling for a 16-12 deficit to start quarter No. 2, Northern finally worked it to a 22-22 tie on a Fraaza layup with 5:32 left in the first half. Then just about 30 seconds later, Holzwart completed a traditional 3-point play — a layup and free throw — to put the Wildcats ahead 25-24.

That would be their last lead until the opening minutes of the fourth, though NMU was able to tie it several times in the third. Trailing 34-29 at halftime, Northern pulled into 41-41 and 43-43 ties just past the midpoint of the third, the first on a traditional three-point play by Whitehouse and the second on a Fraaza layup.

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.