Lady Flames play Friday in NCAA regional

The Lee University women’s basketball team has been awarded an at-large spot in the NCAA Division II tournament for the second year in a row, and coach Marty Rowe’s Lady Flames will play Friday at 1 p.m. EST in Jackson, Tenn., against North Alabama.

Union University, the top-seeded host of the South Region, and third-seeded UNA (24-4) are Gulf South Conference rivals of sixth-seeded Lee (23-7). So is seventh seed Valdosta State. Other teams playing at Jackson are Clark Atlanta, No. 2 seed Florida Southern, fourth seed Embry-Riddle and fifth seed Eckerd.

Lee lost 63-62 at North Alabama on Dec. 18 and is 2-7 all-time against the Lions.

The golf Lady Flames tied for seventh in the Peggy Kirk Bell Invitational at Windermere, Fla., moving up three spots in the final round Tuesday with a 299 for a 54-hole 913.

Eight of the 18 teams are ranked in the Division II top 20, including the Lady Flames at No. 18 and the six teams that finished ahead of them. No. 1 Nova Southeastern won by one stroke over No. 4 Dallas Baptist with an 865.

Lee’s Caroline Moore was 11th individually at 220, and Sam Burrus tied for 33rd at 227. Each shot 145 for the last two rounds.

After beating Bellarmine 20-2 on Tuesday, the baseball Flames completed a sweep of the Louisville, Ky., team with a come-frombehind 6-5 win Wednesday. Down 5-2, Lee (9-11) scored a run in the seventh inning, two in the eighth and the winner with one out in the ninth.

Spencer Mossburg was 2-for4 with a home run and matched Tyler Payne with two runs scored. Peyton Meeker homered in his only at-bat, and Chase Gadau had two RBIs, including the winning single scoring Payne. Lee used seven pitchers.

Lee’s softball team lost 9-4 and 10-1 to No. 2-ranked North Georgia (26-1) on Wednesday in Dahlonega.

Kayla Louie was 2-for-4 and scored twice and Abby McKinney and Taylor Moran each had an RBI in the first game for Lee (11-11). Moran scored the game-two run on a double by Leigh Beatenbough, the Lady Flames’ only hit. With some of their standouts resting after the indoor season, the Lee track and field teams still finished second in the women’s standings and third in the men’s — out of 17 and 13 teams — in the outdoor Ice Breaker Duals last weekend at Berry College.

Charlee Boxall won the women’s 800- and 1500-meter runs, Audrey Smith and Becca Umbarger were first and second in the 3000 steeplechase, Kendra Irvine won the pole vault, Hannah Buttolph was first with Jordan Allison third in the high jump, Allison also was third in the 400 hurdles and Logan Hernandez was third in the 5000.

Lee’s Camilla Sims won the shot put, tied for second in the hammer throw and was third in the discus, and Faith Lewis was third in the shot. Alexis Stevens was third in the javelin throw, an event won by Sewanee’s Karagan Day.

For the Lee men, Josiah Brooks won the 100 and the triple jump, Justin Brooks won the 200, Alex Carter won the 800 and the 1500, the latter with Jared Herzog second, and Evan Hansen was second in the high jump.

Lee’s Caleb Morgan was named the Division II South Region men’s coach of the year for the indoor season by the national coaches association, and Lee’s Charnay Ryland and Joseph Crook were, respectively the men’s and women’s region assistants of the year.

Golfers share seventh

Edging Bellarmine

Defeats at Dahlonega

Tracking the Flames