The Lee women's basketball team begins play tonight at 7 in the Gulf South Conference tournament by hosting Union University, a longtime fierce in-state rival going back to both schools' NAIA years. Third-seeded Lee won 74-69 at Union on Jan. 14 but lost 85-76 to the Lady Bulldogs at home on Jan. 26. This will be the Lady Flames' first tournament home game as a GSC member. "We're excited about the opportunity to host a tournament game and be rewarded for our regular-season play," coach Marty Rowe said in a Lee release. "Union is coming in having won their last five games, so we know they are playing well and with a lot of confidence." The semifinals are Saturday at Samford's Pete Hanna Center in Birmingham, and the Union-Lee winner will face Valdosta Statte or Delta State at 3:15 EST. Lee point guard Abby Bertram is the GSC freshman of the week for the fifth time this season, after averaging 16 points, 4.5 assists and three steals against West Florida and Valdosta State. and shooting guard Erin Walsh was announced Monday as all-conference second-team selection. No Lee player made the men's All-GSC first or second teams.
* University of Tennessee at Chattanooga senior Jasmine Joyner was named the College Sports Madness Southern Conference women's basketball player of the week after totaling 34 points, 29 rebounds, eight assists, six blocked shots and only two turnovers in wins over Furman and Wofford. Top-seeded UTC opens in the SoCon tournament at 11:30 a.m. Thursday against Western Carolina in Asheville, N.C.
* Dalton State is seeded second for the Southern States Athletic Conference men's tournament, losing a tiebreaker to regular-season co-champion William Carey, and opens play Thursday at 3:15 p.m. EST against Middle Georgia State or Brewton-Parker.
* Eastern Kentucky senior point guard Mariah Massengill from Silverdale Baptist Academy had 10 points, 10 assists, six rebounds and two steals in her final college regular-season game Saturday, a 78-65 home win over Tennessee Tech. EKU (10-19, 7-9) plays Wednesday against No. 2 seed Morehead State in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament in Nashville.
Golf
* UTC freshman golfer Maddy McDaniel is tied for 17th individually at 3-over-par 147 going into the final round of the 43-team Edwin Watts Kiawah Island (S.C.) Classic, and the Mocs are 19th in the team standings at 613. Coastal Carolina leads at 584 with East Tennessee State second at 591. UTC's Monica San Juan is tied for 49th at 151, and Megan Woods and Cristina Perez shot 157 and 159 in the first two rounds.
Baseball/Softball
* Devon Gardner was 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBIs as Cleveland State beat the visiting Piedmont junior varsity 12-2 in one seven-inning baseball game Monday. Tyler Qualls was 2-for-3 with a double and three RBIs and Sean McDermott and Brett Browning each was 2-for-3 and scored a run for the Cougars (8-2). Gardner, John Sharpe and Joey Roberson scored two runs apiece, and starting pitcher Ryan Lloyd allowed three hits and struck out seven batters in his five innings.
* Kelsey Payne from East Hamilton went 6-for-11 with two doubles, five runs scored and two batted in over the weekend as the Brenau University softball team went 4-0 against Montreat and Agnes Scott. Also for the Golden Tigers (16-3), Savannah Moore from Soddy-Daisy was 3-for-4 in the two wins over Montreat with a double and three RBIs in the second game.
Tennis
* Covenant College junior Matthew Harvie was selected the USA South men's tennis player of the week for his four victories at No. 1 singles and doubles this past weekend. He is 4-2 in singles and 4-3 in doubles this semester.
Lacrosse
* Sewanee goalie Brianna Young is the Southern Athletic Association women's lacrosse defensive player of week after making 15 saves on 19 shots in a 13-4 win over Carthage. Young leads the SAA with a .767 save percentage for the 3-0 Tigers.