Cleveland State Community College has no fall sports teams, so the school begins its athletic year this afternoon by hosting Wallace State from Hanceville, Ala., in the basketball season openers. The women’s game is at 1 p.m., followed by the men’s contest at 3 or soon after. Cleveland State’s Lady Cougars, who will rely on the leadership of sophomore point guard Jlynn Majors, have more depth than last year, according to longtime coach Dan Lumpkin. Their eight second-year players also include transfers Keke Smith from McMinn County by way of Walters State and Sarah Martinez from nearby Lee University. Coach Lee Cigliano’s Cougars have five transfers to join Darrion Leslie in the sophomore class: Jahaad Lyons from Motlow, Lawrence Castor from Volunteer State, Isaac Harris from Chattanooga State (he sat out last year), Dontrell Whitaker from Kaskaskia and Courtland Crutcher from Shawnee. One of the seven freshmen is Lyons’ brother Jaleen from Murfreesboro.
* Reigning NAIA national champion and No. 1-ranked Dalton State began its men’s basketball season with a 79-71 overtime loss Friday to Lindsey Wilson in Campbellsville’s Lou Cunningham Classic. DSC faces Campbellsville today. Friday’s game was tied at 66 through regulation. Lindsey Wilson’s Bryan Wallace led all scorers with 24 points, while Marcel Hawkins and Deshawn Ruffin each scored 19 in defeat for the Roadrunners, Hawkins with nine rebounds. Corey McDonald had 12 points and seven rebounds and Jordan Bowling had nine rebounds with nine points.
Soccer
* The Shorter University men’s soccer team scored a tying goal with 1:10 left in regulation and the winning goal in the first overtime in upsetting Lee 2-1 on Friday. That dropped the nationally 12th-ranked Flames to 11-2-4 and 6-2-1 in the Gulf South Conference. The first-place and 25th-ranked Lady Flames (11-4-2, 10-2) breezed past Shorter in the women’s game, 5-0, and ensured a first-round bye in the conference tournament. Kaela Leskovar sandwiched two first-half goals around an own goal, and Summer Lanter scored two in the second half. Gabe Franco scored for the Lee men at 15:26 on a rebound of a blocked penalty kick. Josh Addinal and Charlie Dennis had the clutch scores for Shorter (7-8-2, 5-3-1).
* Visiting Georgetown College beat Bryan College 4-0 in women’s soccer Friday night, dropping the Lady Lions to 4-8-4. The score was 1-0 at halftime, but the 24th-ranked Tigers couldn’t be stifled all night. Senior Ariele Greene made nine saves on senior night for the Lady Lions, who were outshot 22-5.