Benat Hevia's two free throws with five seconds left gave Dalton State a 62-60 win Thursday morning over Cumberlands (Ky.) in the opening round of the 81st annual NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament in Kansas City, Mo. Carnilious Simmons had 19 points and 10 rebounds and Isaiah Box and Raheem England scored 11 and nine points for Dalton State (25-8), which plays one of the No. 1 seeds, William Penn of Iowa (28-4), at 8:30 EDT tonight. Will Gary led the Patriots (21-10) with 16 points, but Simmons forced him to alter an attempted tying layup and grabbed the rebound as time expired.
Golf
» Dalton State sophomore golfer S.M. Lee responded to the announcement Wednesday that he was chosen for the United States team for this year's Arnold Palmer Cup competition for collegians by saying, "Beyond blessed. It is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I am excited to honor Mr. Palmer's legacy while playing for my country." Lee is the first NAIA player picked for the Ryder Cup-like event. DSC coach Ben Rickett called it "a phenomenal achievement." Lee won the Jack Nicklaus and Phil Mickelson awards last year as the best player and best freshman in the NAIA.
Softball
» Freshman Allison Swinford pitched a three-hitter and her University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball teammates totaled 11 hits in a 6-0 win Thursday against Maine in Clearwater, Fla. Emma Sturdivant went 3-for-3 with one run scored while Brook Womack was 2-for-2 with two runs for UTC (12-14), and Hayleigh Weissenbach hit a two-run single in the three-run sixth inning. The Mocs scored three again in the seventh. Swinford struck out five batters.
» Bryan College lost 7-4 and 7-6, the latter in nine innings, in Appalachian Athletic Conference softball at Point University. Hannah O'Shields hit a two-run home run in each game and Leslie Beecham was 2-for-3 in the first game for Bryan (6-18, 3-5), and Sydney Olander, Kimberly McKernie, Allison Walker and Courtney Petty each had two hits in game two.
» Sewanee won 5-2 and lost 11-3 against visiting Blackburn. Jackie O'Reilly pitched a five-hitter and homered in the first game for Sewanee (3-11), accounting for two RBIs and two runs, and Rachel Hoffman was 2-for-4 and scored a run. O'Reilly was 2-for-3 with a homer, a double and two runs in the rematch, when Caroline Sweetin was 2-for-2 with an RBI.
General
» Lee University leads the standings for the Gulf South Conference All-Sports Trophy after the fall and winter seasons. Lee has 39.7 points to 34.6 for North Alabama and 33.5 for third-place West Florida. Lee leads the women's standings and is third behind leader West Florida and West Alabama in men's points.
Baseball
» Cleveland State improved its baseball season record to 16-7 with 8-5 and 13-3 home wins Thursday over Clark State. Hunter Oliver hit a three-run home run in the sixth inning of the opener, and Trey Vanderpool was 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run. Cameron Payne was 2-for-3, Trey Martin drove in two runs and Ryan Inches (4-1) allowed three hits and two runs, both unearned, with six strikeouts in five innings pitched for the Cougars, who visit Chattanooga State for a TCCAA series today and Saturday. Jackson Etter (3-0) pitched a five-inning three-hitter with one earned run in game two, when Oliver and Caleb Collins each homered and totaled two hits and three RBIs, Rhett Baldwin was 3-for-3 with two doubles, two RBIs and two runs, Cameron Hankins also homered and Noah Hill and Noah Peterson each doubled and singled and scored twice.
» Covenant College beat visiting Averett 8-2 and 12-2 in USA South baseball Thursday, as Matt Reitz (3-2) pitched eight innings with nine strikeouts and Taylor Bloye (3-2) went seven with four hits allowed and five strikeouts. C.J. Edmond was 3-for-4 with a home run, Joel Johnson hit a two-run triple and Caleb Bloye was 2-for-3 and scored twice in the opener for the Scots (9-12, 7-4), and Edmond was 3-for-4 with four RBIs and Johnson had a two-run homer in game two, when Devin Cerrato homered and singled, drove in two and scored three and Ken Alexander had two hits and three RBIs. Caleb Bloye scored two runs again.
Lacrosse
» Mikayla Virden and Grace Passantino had five and four goals and an assist apiece in the Tennessee Wesleyan women's lacrosse 21-1 home win Wednesday against Truett McConnell. Taylor Minauskas, Ginnabeth Day and Annika Major each scored two goals, and Florence Andrieu had three assists and one goal. TWU (5-3) had 30 shots on goal to four for TMU (1-7).
Tennis
» Lee's Bruno Medeiros was the Gulf South men's tennis freshman of the week for matches of March 5-11. He went 2-1 in singles and 2-1 in doubles with Boyd Blackburn in the Flames' three matches in Orlando, Fla.