March 5, 2026
Ferris State women’s basketball team advances in GLIAC tournament, while men’s team falls to top-ranked Northern Michigan
Ferris State University women’s basketball has advanced to the GLIAC Tournament semifinals after an 82-74 home victory over University of Wisconsin-Parkside in the first round on March 4, with the men’s team wrapping up their 2025-26 season.
The men’s squad was the No. 8 seed in its bracket and fell to top-seeded Northern Michigan University in a 91-62 road loss. Ferris State appeared in its 12th consecutive and 26th overall GLIAC Tournament appearance, closing the year with a 10-18 overall record.
It was an all-around team effort as Tae Boyd marked a team-high 19 points. Mykel Bingham contributed 15 points along with six rebounds in his final game as a Bulldog, as Owen Hardy added nine points and grabbed seven rebounds, with Bryce Moore recording 10 points and three boards.
Women’s basketball utilized a strong defensive effort, highlighted by 13 steals, in the strong opening of postseason action.
Ferris State started the game on a 12-4 run fueled by four-straight threes from Mia Riley, Emma Schierbeek, and Kadyn Blanchard. However, Parkside jumped right back into the game with an 11-0 run to take their first lead (15-12) with 3:35 remaining in the first quarter.
The Rangers carried a 19-16 lead into the second, but another barrage of threes from the Bulldogs kept the game close at 30-27 with 4:19 left until the halftime break. Ferris State ended the first half on a 9-7 scoring run capped off by a converted from Blanchard, 37-36.
Ferris State regained control in the third quarter, outscoring Parkside 22-14 as both teams traded baskets throughout the 10-minute period. The team took seven-point lead (54-47) after Mara Mitchell knocked down a pair of free throws with just under four minutes remaining in the third, as the Bulldogs eventually held onto a seven-point advantage with the score at 58-51 going into the final quarter.
Ferris State's largest lead reached 14 points late in the fourth quarter, which eventually solidified a 3-0 record against the Rangers this season as the team improved to 25-5 overall.
Veteran leadership was evident in the victory. Blanchard led the Bulldogs with 22 points and 11 rebounds, as Mya Hiram posted the same figures on an efficient 9-of-17 shots converted. Riley posted 14 points and dished out six assists in a game-high 36 minutes played while Elle Irwin added 12 points from three-point range on 50% shooting.
The third-seeded Bulldogs will now face second-seeded Wayne State, as the regular-season series against the Warriors was split 1-1. The neutral site contest is set for Saturday, March 7, at 4:30 p.m. at the GVSU Fieldhouse in Allendale. The winner will advance to the conference championship game on Sunday, March 8.