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
» Sewanee lost 13-8 and 9-5 in Sunday's SAA baseball doubleheader at Berry. The Tigers (8-5, 0-3) got a hit-by-pitch RBI, three RBI walks and a pinch-hit three-run homer by Jack Ahlum in the first game, when Berry (11-5, 4-2) scored 10 runs in the first inning. Trey Akins homered and Josh Roberts hit a two-run double for Sewanee in the final game of the series.
Fishing
» Buddy Gross of Chickamauga, Georgia, finished 11th Saturday - barely missing the final round - in the FLW Tour bass tournament on Lake Seminole in southwestern Georgia, and Hixson resident Miles Burghoff was 21st with a three-day total of 36 pounds, 9 ounces and earned $10,500. Gross, who won the FLW Tour event on Lake Toho in early February, received $12,000 for his 45-4 total that included 16-13 on Saturday.
Tennis
» The UTC men's tennis team pulled out a tough doubles point and wins in four extended singles matches in defeating visiting Jacksonville State 6-1 on Sunday. That lifted the Mocs to 9-6 - the program's most victories in six years - and dropped JSU to 7-3. UTC's Niklas Gerdes won 6-2, 6-2 at No. 1, and teammates Tomas Rodriguez, Kerim Hyatt, Simon Bustamante and Jacob Marshall also prevailed in singles after Gerdes with Rodriguez and Pablo Llebeili with Luke Plaisted won close doubles contests.
» Sewanee's nationally 14th-ranked women and 18th-ranked men beat visiting Centre 6-3 and 9-0 in SAA tennis openers Saturday with straight-set singles wins from Catherine Owen, Sara Thompson, Mary Jane McCaghren, Haley Tucker, Maura McCrary, Andres Carro, Jordan Brewer, Jack Gray, Brandon Kali, Jack Metzger and Fletcher Kerr.
» The Covenant men swept the doubles and Nos. 4-6 singles in downing Brevard 6-3 in a USA South match Saturday at McCallie School. Trey Wood with Paxton Haggerty, Chris Morton with Logan Hull and Tyler Kelly with Ben Luke were the winning duos, and Morton, Cameron Cortman and Kelly won in singles.