Led by 19 points each from all-tournament guards Abby Bertram and Haley Schubert, Lee University defeated Valdosta State 81-73 in the Gulf South Conference women’s basketball tournament championship game Sunday afternoon in Birmingham. Bertram, chosen the event’s most outstanding player, also had nine rebounds and scored six points in the third-seeded Lady Flames’ 14-3 surge beginning the second quarter. That wiped out a 17-10 deficit that included a 14-2 disparity in rebounds. Taylor Boggess and Nicky Widenski scored 12 points each for Lee (25-6), which made 31 of 44 free throws while the Blazers hit 16 of 22. Kayla Bonilla scored 22 points for fifth seed Valdosta State (21-10) after scoring 30 in the semifinal upset of Union University. The Lady Flames are going to the NCAA Division II tournament for the third year in a row, but this is their first GSC championship. “This is a special group of players, and we played some really good basketball this weekend to come away with our first conference title,” coach Marty Rowe said in a Lee release.
Softball
» The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team made three outfield errors and gave up four unearned runs Sunday in losing 7-6 to Seton Hall (8-10) at Clearwater, Florida. The Mocs (17-5) will resume play there Thursday. UTC quickly went ahead on a two-run double by Halie Williamson in the top of the first inning, and Aly Walker and Amanda Beltran homered in the sixth and seventh, respectively. Walker was 3-for-3 and scored three times, and Emma Sturdivant was 2-for-3 with an RBI triple and a double.
» Sewanee lost 8-3 on Saturday and 12-0 and 6-5 on Sunday in a Southern Athletic Association series at Millsaps. Rachel Hoffman was 2-for-3 with a two-run double Saturday for the Tigers (0-11, 0-5), and she was 2-for-2 with three RBIs while Peri Prestwood and Katie Roth each was 2-for-3 in the finale, Prestwood with two doubles and an RBI.
Baseball