MIDLAND, Mich. -- The Northern Michigan University women's basketball team fell to Northwood University Friday night, 69-60, in a close Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference contest.

The two teams held pretty even through the first quarter, with the Wildcats boasting their largest lead of the first 10 minutes at 4:11 when Taya Stevenson hit a three-point shot for the 9-4 lead. The Timberwolves answered back and the teams battled it out, with NMU carrying the narrow 15-13 lead into the second quarter. 

The Wildcats scored six points to open the second half with Elena Alaix hitting a shot from beyond the arc before sinking her second-consecutive three-point shot for the 21-15 lead just over a minute into the second quarter for their largest lead of the half.

NU cut the lead down to a single possession but Madigan Johns quickly halted their efforts as she hit a jump shot for three with 5:53 to play to make it 24-19. 

The Timberwolves took the lead, 25-24, with 4:11 to play in the half just before Alaix sunk another three-point shot to take the lead back. 

The two teams would go back and forth with three ensuing tie-scores before a last second three-point shot gave the Timberwolves the lead heading into the second half. After 20 minutes of play, NMU trailed NU, 34-31.

NMU tied things up with a three-pointer from Alaix to start the second half, before going up 39-35 when Andrea Perez hit a three-pointer with an assist to Makaylee Kuhn. 

The Timberwolves went on a small run, extending their lead to 47-43 before Johns made a shot in order to pull her Wildcats within two points with 2:32 to play in the third quarter. 

The Wildcat women continued to pressure, throughout the third quarter, with Kuhn hitting two shots from the line to make it a 49-47 NU lead as the two squads went into the fourth quarter.

Alaix knotted things up at 49-49 to start the final quarter before Johns gave the Wildcats the lead again, 51-49. The Timberwolves tied things up at 51-all but 20 seconds later the Wildcats would get the lead back with a made layup from Perez.

NU scored again to match the Wildcats' 53 point total, refusing to give up the lead again. The Wildcats managed to come back and tie things up at 60-60, before the Timberwolves scored the final nine points of the game for the 69-60 final.

Alaix, who hit four shots from beyond the three-point arc, led the team with 20 points Friday night while Kuhn was second, tallying 12. The two also combined for 13 of the team's 28 rebounds on the evening, with Alaix's seven leading the team.

The two teams return to action tomorrow afternoon with a 3 p.m. tip set for the regular season finale.