Lee reaches semis of NAIA nationals

Arkansas-SEMO Live Blog

Hollie German and Jenna Adams scored 18 points apiece and Mary Jackson grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds as Lee University knocked off defending champion Oklahoma City University, 59-48, in the NAIA Division I women's basketball tournament quarterfinals Saturday at Frankfort, Ky. The Lady Flames' 16th win in a row made them 33-2 for the season and put them in a 6 p.m. semifinal Monday against Cumberland (33-32), which edged Lubbock Christian 63-61 in the late quarterfinal. With top-ranked Freed-Hardeman (34-1) also winning, three Tennessee teams are in the semifinals. Oklahoma City (28-4) was ranked second in the final poll and was seeded first to seventh-ranked Lee's second in their tourney quadrant but never led in Saturday's game. OCU's Katie Hall scored 24 points, but no teammate reached double figures as the Stars shot 33.3 percent. Lee was cold from 3-point range (4-of-27) but was 14-of-24 on 2-pointers and made 19 of 27 free throws while the Stars hit 13 of 28.

• Times Free Press sports columnist Mark Wiedmer will be the guest speaker for the Chattanooga Quarterback Club's noon luncheon meeting Monday at Finley Stadium, and the public is invited. Attendance costs $10 with lunch, $4 without. Wiedmer will discuss the NCAA basketball tournament.

Tennis

• The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men's tennis team pulled off what coach Carlos Garcia called a "huge win" by defeating UNC Greensboro 6-1 on the UTC courts Saturday. UNCG was undefeated coming into the week but now is 7-2, 2-2 in the Southern Conference, while the Mocs are 7-5, 2-1. "After not playing well on the road last week, it was great to see the guys rebound and play well today," Garcia said.

Golf

• UTC is 12th in a loaded field of 15 golf teams after the second round in the SunTrust Gator Women's Invitational at Gainesville, Fla. The Mocs shot an aggregate 307 Saturday for a 36-hole total of 609, four shots behind 11th-place Florida International. Third-ranked Alabama leads at 579 after a 293, and No. 5 Florida also shot 293 and is tied for second with No. 4 Oklahoma at 582. UTC's Isabella Loza is tied for 38th at 151 after a 73, and Agathe Sauzon and Emily McLennan are at 152 with Mette Kryger at 154.

• Chattanooga's Black Creek Club is hosting the Toyota TGA Junior Tour's first Ashworth Elite Series tournament Saturday and next Sunday with 42 boys and 18 girls on the tour's "priority exemption list" playing 36 holes. The boys' winner will earn an exemption into the new Chattanooga Choo Choo Invitational set for July 22-24 at Council Fire Golf Club, with top amateurs from throughout the Southeastern United States competing for world ranking points.

Baseball

• After winning 8-4 Friday night at Bryan College, top-ranked Tennessee Wesleyan completed the Appalachian Athletic Conference baseball series Saturday by winning 5-1 twice. Jake Stone was 3-for-4 with two home runs, a double and three RBIs on Friday for the Bulldogs (23-6, 8-1), when Trey Griffin homered among three hits, Brad Carpenter was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Wes Minton homered, singled and scored twice. Tyler Latham was 3-for-5 with two doubles, Grant Zawadzki had a two-run homer and Joey Underwood was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run Friday for Bryan (14-13, 3-6). In the series finale Saturday, Josh McCray was 3-for-3 with a homer and two RBIs, Griffin was 2-for-4 with a homer and Stone was 2-for-3 with an RBI for TWC, while Blake Johnson's homer was the Lions' only hit off Jarrod Jameson.

• Lee University beat visiting Emmanuel 5-0 and 9-3 in Southern States baseball Saturday, lifting the NAIA's third-ranked Flames to 23-6 overall and 12-3 in the league. Jose Samayoa and Andy Hillis combined to pitch a three-hitter with 10 strikeouts in the first game, when Lee scored all its runs in the sixth inning, Mark Silva driving in two and Brady Renner, Derrick Pitts and Chris Avey adding one RBI each. Avey and Danny Canela each was 2-for-3 in the game. Brandon Rader was 2-for-3 with three runs scored in the rematch, when Corey Davis and Jordan Stewart each homered and plated two runs. Pitts also had two RBIs.

• Covenant College won 9-1 and 11-5 in baseball Saturday at Hiwassee, with Micah Mabe pitching a three-hitter with eight strikeouts in the opener and Braeden Lane going 6-for-7 with seven RBIs for the doubleheader. He homered and drove in five in the second game, when Perry Rigby was 3-for-4 with two doubles, four RBIs and three runs and Scott Gillespie was 2-for-3 with three runs and an RBI. Sterling Witt was 2-for-3 with a double and David Lockwood tripled and singled and had an RBI in game one for the Scots (14-3).

• Despite another strong pitching performance by Brandon Zajac, Cleveland State lost 3-2 Friday in the first game of its TCCAA weekend baseball series at Dyersburg State. Cody Heifnar's sixth-inning two-run home run put the Cougars ahead, but a two-run Troy Hughes single for the Eagles in the seventh pinned a loss on reliever Tyler Kilgore.

• McCallie School graduate Chase Brookshire pitched seven innings but did not figure in the decision in Belmont's 4-3 baseball win Friday over visiting Northern Illinois. Brookshire, who struck out six batters, had a 3-1 lead before giving up a two-run homer in the seventh.

Running

• Joseph Goetz won the First Volunteer 5k for CIS road race Saturday morning in Ringgold in 16 minutes, 14 seconds. Geno Phillips was second in 16:23, and Jacob Bradley, Dean Thompson and Alan Outlaw completed the top five overall in 16i:33, 16:40 and 17:03. All are local standout runners. Jessica Marlier was the women's winner and eighth overall in 18:34, with Dianna Levin the next female in 20:11.

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