Lee Lady Flames Earn First Ever Bid to the Division II NCAA Tournament

Cleveland, TN-(WDEF) The Lee University women’s basketball team used to be a constant fixture in the NAIA national tournament, and now they’re trying to make a post-season tradition at a higher level.
In just their second year as a full fledged Division two school, the Lady Flames have qualified for the D-2, NCAA tournament.
Perhaps the only two goals Lee coach Marty Rowe worries about are the two goals on the court. He’s not a goal-oriented coach, even if the goal is the Big Dance.
Said forward Carrie Cheeks:”We don’t have goals. Coach Rowe never sets goals. We just go after each game and each day, and we try to get better.”
Said guard Erin Walsh :”He never really sets tangible goals. We know we want to win. But he also talks about taking it one game at a time, and getting better each game each day.”
Said Rowe:”It has just been something we have never really done. Don’t talk about it a lot. Obviously the end product is trying to be the very best team that we can be here year in and year out.”
On Sunday night, Lee learned they were among the best as they got the school’s first ever berth in the Division two NCAA tournament.
Said forward Shelby Brown:”It’s a huge honor to be the first. I think it’s really significant, and I’m really proud of this team.”
Said Cheeks:”It is an honor. It’s something nobody else is going to be able to do at our school, so it’s special.”
The Lady Flames reached the Big Dance with no seniors on the roster.
Said Rowe:”As our freshmen have matured, we have seen us start to really understand how we want to play, and how we want to compete night-in and night-out.”
Lee is headed for St. Petersburg, Florida, for the South Region, where they’ll play Eckerd College on Friday.
Said Walsh:”I think it’s a lot of fun. I’m ready for the experience to go down there and play.”
Said Rowe:”It’s kind of surreal to know that we’re in the NCAA tournament, and that there’s only 64 teams left. It’s a lot of fun to know that we’re apart of that.”