PA28 INVOLVED IN NMAC WITH ANOTHER PA28 TURNING BASE FROM OPPOSITE DIRECTION.

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CEILINGS APPROX 2500 FT; WINDS WERE 300 DEGS AT APPROX 15 KTS GUSTING 28 KTS. WERE INBOUND ON A VOR APCH TO RWY 35L AND WERE SWITCHED APPROX 1.5 MI OUT TO RWY 26. WE WERE GIVEN VECTORS TO RWY 26. WE WERE GIVEN CLRNC TO LAND AND ACFT #2 WAS TOLD TO FOLLOW BEHIND US ON BASE. ACFT #2 ACKNOWLEDGED INSTRUCTIONS. MY INSTRUCTOR AND I WERE ON BASE FOR RWY 26 AT GRAND FORKS INTL LESS THAN 1 MI OUT. ACFT #2 WAS COMING FROM THE N AND WE WERE INBOUND FROM THE S. ACFT #2 TURNED BASE DIRECTLY INTO US. WE VISUALLY SAW THE AIRPLANE; ADSB ALSO SHOWED A TFC ALERT. WE TOOK CORRECTIVE ACTION AND FLEW OUTBOUND TO THE E. WE NOTIFIED THE CTLR OF OUR CORRECTIVE ACTION. THE CTLR THEN CLRED US TO LAND BEHIND ACFT #2. HE LANDED AND WE FOLLOWED. THE CTLR SEEMED VERY BUSY AND OVERWORKED. I BELIEVE THE PROB WAS CAUSED BY AN OVERWORKED CTLR AND A NEW/INEXPERIENCED PLT WHO MISUNDERSTOOD INSTRUCTIONS. THIS COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY BEEN PREVENTED IN A NUMBER OF WAYS INCLUDING; THE STUDENT/AND OR INSTRUCTOR IN ACFT #2 LISTENING MORE CAREFULLY OR ALLEVIATING SOME OF THE WORK OF THE CTLR.