  The low-lying excited states in the neutron-deficient $N=Z+1$ nucleus
$^{87}_{43}$Tc$^{\ }_{44}$ have been studied via the fusion-evaporation
reaction $^{54}$Fe($^{36}$Ar, $2n1p$)$^{87}$Tc at the Grand Acc\'el\'erateur
National d'Ions Lourds (GANIL), France. The AGATA spectrometer was used in
conjunction with the auxiliary NEDA, Neutron Wall, and DIAMANT detector arrays
to measure coincident prompt $\gamma$-rays, neutrons, and charged particles
emitted in the reaction. A level scheme of $^{87}$Tc from the
(9/2$^{+}_{g.s.}$) state to the (33/2$^{+}_{1}$) state was established based on
6 mutually coincident $\gamma$-ray transitions. The constructed level structure
exhibits a rotational behavior with a sharp backbending at $\hbar\omega\approx
0.50$ MeV. A decrease in alignment frequency and increase in alignment
sharpness in the odd-mass isotonic chains around $N=44$ is proposed as an
effect of the enhanced isoscalar neutron-proton interactions in odd-mass nuclei
when approaching the $N=Z$ line.
