The Lee University women's lacrosse team plays the first match in program history at 1 p.m. Saturday at South Quade Field on the Cleveland school's campus, and Abby Sanders from Walker Valley High School is listed as the goalkeeper on a roster representing seven states. After a cookout at noon for the Lee student body, the Lady Flames will play Erskine College of Due West, S.C. There will be no admission charge.
"The girls have worked incredibly hard and have all improved so much since we began in August," Lee coach Addie Wadley said in a school release.
"We have felt tremendous support from the Lee community up to this point. I can't wait to share this exciting new beginning with them," added Wadley, a California native who spent much of her childhood in South Africa with her missionary parents but played lacrosse for Biola University in Los Angeles.
"We are excited to begin this new era in Lee athletics," athletic director Larry Carpenter said. "I have confidence that Coach Wadley will quickly have our team playing an exciting style of lacrosse and competing at a high level."
Sewanee and Tennessee Wesleyan are area colleges with established women's and men's lacrosse, and the Sewanee men get underway Saturday also - in Charlottesville, Va. The Tennessee Wesleyan men lost their opener last Saturday at Huntingdon, 14-8, and play again Feb. 17.
Basketball
* Z Arima tied his career high with 26 points and Covenant hung on for an 81-80 USA South win Wednesday night at Huntingdon in Montgomery, Ala. Caleb Haynes added 13 points and Bailey Spragg 10 for the Scots (12-10, 5-6), who led 70-56 with 8:31 to play before Huntingdon (2-20, 0-11) rallied.
* Bryan College split an Appalachian Athletic Conference doubleheader Wednesday at Point University in West Point, Ga., with the Lions winning 89-76 and the Lady Lions losing 75-67. For the Bryan men (8-18, 4-13), Oteriah Lee scored 26 points, Reagan Johnson 22 and Tyler Yoder 19 with seven rebounds and four assists against the Skyhawks (2-24, 1-16). For the Bryan women (12-13, 10-9), Megan Billingsby and Amber Levi each scored 18 points, Billingsby with eight rebounds, and Erisha Talley had 10 points. Point (21-5, 14-5) trailed 21-10, 39-31 and 55-49 at the quarter breaks.
* Tennessee Wesleyan University was swept in an AAC doubleheader Wednesday at Union College in Barbourville, Ky., with the men losing 77-71 and the women losing 88-69. Double-digit scorers for the TWU men (16-9, 10-7) were Johnson Decembre (12 points), QD Cox (11) and Kobe Foster (11), with Will Gardner adding nine points and nine rebounds. No. 2-ranked Union (24-3, 17-0) earned a program-record 22nd straight win. For the TWU women (13-12, 11-8), Hunter Simpson had 18 points, Madison Walkup 12 and Kenzi Conn and Lindsey Macon 11 apiece. Union is 16-10, 10-9.
Softball
* The Lee softball team improved to 6-2 with 12-0 and 14-1 home wins Wednesday against Tennessee Wesleyan, which was opening its season. In the first game, Leigh Beatenbough (2-1) pitched a no-hitter, striking out six with no walks in five innings. She was backed by 10 hits, including a grand slam by Annabeth Pruett in a seven-run first inning and a two-run home run by Brooklynn Frazier, who also had an RBI on a sacrifice fly. Beatenbough was 2-for-3 with an RBI. In the second game, McKinney was 3-for-4 with three RBIs, Miller was 2-for-3 with an RBI, Frazier was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs, and Crawford and Stevie Baird each had a hit, a walk and two RBIs. McKinney (3-1) pitched four innings in relief to earn the win, allowing an earned run on four hits and a walk while striking out two. North Murray graduate Baylee Sutton from Crandall, Ga., was 2-for-3 as the only Tennessee Wesleyan player with more than one hit.
* Cumberland University softball coach Heather Stanfill announced Wednesday that Sydney Adkins from LaFayette (Ga.) High signed scholarship papers this week to join the NAIA program in Lebanon, Tenn. Her father, Kevin Adkins, and two uncles played football for Cumberland. Sydney, who also has competed in basketball and track and field for the Lady Ramblers, hit .255 with five home runs and 15 doubles as a senior this past fall.