March 9, 2026

Ferris State women’s basketball team earns third-straight NCAA DII tournament berth after falling in GLIAC championship game

The Ferris State University women's basketball team is headed to the NCAA Division II Tournament, one of eight regional selections announced Sunday by the NCAA.

 The selection comes after the team fell to top-seeded rival Grand Valley State University 83-62 in the 2026 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Championship Game on Sunday.

In the title game, the Lakers jumped out to an early advantage and came away with their third win over Ferris State this year.

Third-seeded Bulldogs had beat University of Wisconsin - Parkside University at home in the opening round on Wednesday night before notching a high-scoring 104-86 semifinal win over second-seeded Wayne State University on Saturday in Allendale.

The Bulldogs recorded 10 three-pointers in the championship setback, but the Lakers dominated the paint with 38 points.

Kadyn Blanchard and Mya Hiram were both named to the GLIAC All-Tournament Team for their performances in the tourney run.

The Bulldogs, who were ranked No. 16 nationally, are now 26-6 this year while the nation's second-ranked Lakers improved to 30-1 this campaign. The contest was the second tournament final in as many years between the two West Michigan rivals.

Ferris State will be the No. 2 seed for the NCAA D2 Midwest Regional Tourney and will face seventh-seeded University of Missouri-St. Louis on Friday, March 13, at 2:30 p.m. in Allendale at GVSU.

The women's DII regional at GVSU begins on Friday with four quarterfinal-round games. The winners will meet in semifinal round action on Saturday  evening with the regional title game slated for Monday, March 16.

The single-elimination national tournament field includes eight regions of eight teams apiece.

The Midwest Regional champion will advance to the NCAA Division Elite Eight with quarterfinal-round play on March 24 and the semifinals on March 26 in Pittsburgh. The national championship game will be contested on March 28 at the UMPC Cooper Fieldhouse.

On the women's side, the Bulldogs were among four teams picked from the GLIAC in addition to top-seeded GVSU, fourth-seeded Wayne State and fifth-seeded Northern Michigan University.

Ferris State will be making its ninth NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament appearance.
The team in 2023-24 won its first regional crown to advance to the DII Elite Eight and the national semifinals. The Bulldogs reached the second round last season and this year marks the Bulldogs' third consecutive NCAA Tourney trip and fourth trip to the big dance in the past five seasons.