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At the heart of the Murdaugh murders is a dynasty with a history of ‘tragedy and trains’

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At the heart of the Murdaugh murders is a dynasty with a history of ‘tragedy and trains’


The media tents and vehicles have packed up and the wall-to-wall cable community protection of the six-week trial of South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh has ended.

However in rural Hampton County, it is a troublesome, uneasy time.

Murdaugh has begun consecutive life sentences for killing his spouse, Maggie, and son, Paul, in June 2021, however the residents of this small neighborhood nonetheless drive previous his previous legislation agency every single day.

They do enterprise within the financial institution he is alleged to have used to arrange pretend accounts and steal thousands and thousands from his shoppers, they usually may go to church with members of the prolonged Murdaugh household.

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Residents say there’s a complete lot of injuring and therapeutic to be finished as they course of the spectacular downfall of a person as soon as seen as a pillar of their society.

Gina Brock, a nurse from close by Chapin County, watched the trial every single day and got here to court docket twice to see it for herself.

She stated after she noticed Alex Murdaugh go down and his jail mugshot issued, she thought: “Wow, he actually fell a good distance from grace.”

After the trial wrapped up, she did not fairly know what to do with herself.

Finally, she left the Fb teams dedicated to individuals discussing the trial as a result of, “it was simply form of individuals arguing after the actual fact”.

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As for the remainder of Alex Murdaugh’s household, cracks are starting to emerge after the high-profile verdict.

Buster Murdaugh got here to his father’s trial every single day and testified for the defence.

Because it ended, the 26 year-old has complained about being adopted and photographed.

Buster Murdaugh has reportedly complained to police about being harassed by the media after his father’s sentencing.(AP Picture: The State/Joshua Boucher)

Alex’s brother, Randy — additionally a frequent presence in court docket throughout the trial and a associate on the household legislation agency — has since claimed he did not know if his brother killed his spouse and son.

In an interview with the New York Instances, Randy Murdaugh stated he could not think about his brother pulling the set off, however “he is aware of greater than what he is saying”.

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“He is not telling the reality, in my view, about every little thing there,” he stated.

In the meantime, Alex Murdaugh nonetheless faces a slew of prices referring to monetary crimes.

He is one of many remaining events in a case related to the loss of life of 19-year-old Mallory Seaside in a boating accident involving Paul Murdaugh.

And there are lingering questions concerning the loss of life of his housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield.

The lacking insurance coverage payout

When Satterfield’s sons first got here to lawyer Ronnie Richter over a lacking insurance coverage fee, he thought there had been some mistake.

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The Satterfield boys instructed the Charleston lawyer that Alex Murdaugh owed them $US505,000 ($761,000) as a part of a payout from a house insurance coverage declare made on their behalf after their mom died in 2018.

It was claimed she had tripped down some stairs on the Murdaughs’ sprawling nation property, Moselle.

A close up of the front of a two-storey house surrounded by trees.
The court docket was taken on a tour of the crime scene throughout Alex Murdaugh’s closely-watched trial.(AP Picture: The Submit And Courier/Andrew J Whitaker)

“Our first response was disbelief, that what was being stated to us was merely not true,” Mr Richter stated.

Alex Murdaugh, in spite of everything, was a really massive fish within the small pond of the South Carolina authorized fraternity.

For generations, his household had held the place of circuit solicitor, an elected official who oversees legal circumstances.

And Alex Murdaugh was a associate on the agency, PMPED, based greater than a century in the past by his great-grandfather, Randolph Murdaugh Sr.

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A bellwether legislation agency in that neighborhood, I imply, a real pillar of the neighborhood,” Mr Richter stated.

So when the Satterfields turned to Mr Richter, he says his first communication with Murdaugh and his agency was easy.

“There should be some mistake or there’s one thing holding up the distribution of this cash. Would you please go forward and disburse the cash to the boys,” he says he instructed Murdaugh.

When his communication went unanswered, Mr Richter adopted up with one other one, a little bit sterner in tone.

Once more, there was no response.

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Mr Richter and his associate, Eric Bland, started to understand one thing was incorrect, very incorrect, in the home of Alex Murdaugh.

So they filed a lawsuit, which ultimately led to the invention that the payout Gloria Satterfield’s sons ought to have acquired was not $US505,000 however a whopping $US4.3 million.

A messy checklist of crimes

A plethora of Murdaugh podcasts and documentaries — together with from Netflix and HBO Max — have since helped gas theories about whether or not the longtime housekeeper won’t have tripped over the household canine, because the story went, however been pushed down the steps.

The outline of a man's eyes and hair displaying the words Murdaugh Murders: Deadly Dynasty in white and yellow.
Numerous podcasts and documentaries are dedicated to uncovering the tangled internet of the Murdaugh murders.(Equipped: IMDB/Murdaugh Murders Lethal Dynasty)

Mr Richter says that, whereas the Satterfield household does assist strikes to now exhume her stays, they do not purchase into the homicide hypothesis.

“The foul play started after her loss of life when Alex Murdaugh noticed this, bizarrely, as a chance for revenue,” he stated.

The strongest argument in opposition to foul play Mr Richter advised was the truth that Ms Satterfield survived for a number of weeks after she landed on the backside of the steps.

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“It sounds crass, and I apologise, but when it have been your intent to kill somebody, you wouldn’t permit them to outlive for 3 weeks, for concern that they’d regain consciousness and report what had occurred to them,” he famous.

Alex Murdaugh can also be dealing with 99 prices associated to allegations of embezzlement, fraud and forgery.

In sentencing him to a double life time period, Choose Clifton Newman stated these issues would now be scheduled.

“There are different victims whose circumstances should be heard,” he stated.

A wrongful loss of life case introduced by the household of Ms Seaside, a 19 year-old who died when the boat a drunken Paul Murdaugh was allegedly steering crashed right into a bridge, has been scheduled for August this 12 months.

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Alex Murdaugh, because the proprietor of the boat, and a comfort retailer that allegedly offered his underage son alcohol are the remaining events in that case.

Paul Murdaugh was awaiting trial on prices of cruising beneath the affect when his father shot him lifeless in June 2021.

Maggie Murdaugh wearing a red shirt and white pants with her arms around her two sons
Paul (left) was concerned in a case a few boat accident earlier than his loss of life.(Fb: Maggie Murdaugh)

It was arguably the Seaside case that was the start of Alex Murdaugh’s downfall.

“It was all the time a home of playing cards … in some unspecified time in the future in time, you run out of recent individuals to steal from,” Mr Richter stated.

“However when Mallory Seaside died and the lights turned on in Hampton County, scrutiny was bearing down on Alex Murdaugh.”

Authorities are additionally wanting once more on the loss of life of Stephen Smith, a former classmate of the surviving Murdaugh son, Buster, who turned up lifeless again in 2015 on a highway in Hampton County.

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Police on the time reported his accidents as blunt drive trauma to the top, however famous there was no car particles close by.

How the Murdaugh empire was constructed

It was yet one more mysterious Murdaugh loss of life again in 1940 that helped construct the household’s authorized empire.

A family in evening dress
Investigators uncovered dozens of alleged crimes throughout a 13-month probe of the Murdaugh murders.(Fb: Maggie Murdaugh)

On a darkish and humid July evening, Randolph Murdaugh Sr, Alex Murdaugh’s great-grandfather, was on his approach house from a poker sport when his automotive stopped on a rail crossing simply east of Varnville.

In line with information studies from the time, the prepare driver reported Murdaugh Sr elevating his hand and waving on the oncoming prepare, however not making strikes to get out of its approach.

When the prepare hit, the 52-year-old was killed immediately.

The story was unearthed by Michael Dewitt Jr, who has been delving deep into the Murdaugh household historical past for his work masking the trial and all its associated twists and turns, in addition to for 2 forthcoming books, Depraved Hampton County, and Fall of the Home of Murdaugh.

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“This household dynasty form of has a theme that runs via the entire historical past, of tragedy and trains,” he stated.

After the patriarch’s loss of life, his son Buster (Alex Murdaugh’s grandfather), sued the railroad.

The case settled however that was only the start of the Murdaugh household’s profitable connection to the Charleston and Western Carolina Railroad, now CSX.

Over the following a long time, the Murdaugh legislation agency established itself because the go-to store for a private damage case.

“If you are going to get $10 million in a lawsuit in one other county, you come to Hampton,” Mr Dewitt Jr stated.

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“And, not solely are you nearly assured to win, you are [also] liable to get $50 million, as a substitute of $10 million.”

The agency’s development was propelled by a comparatively lax legislation in South Carolina round the place circumstances might be tried.

A loophole meant that anybody suing an organization that owned property or did enterprise in Hampton County, might have the case heard there, even when the non-public damage occurred elsewhere within the state.

It turned the PMPED right into a lawsuit manufacturing facility, lending them a repute as private damage sharks.

A sign welcomes travellers to Hampton County as a car drives down an empty road lined with trees on each side
The Murdaugh household based a profitable legislation agency over 100 years in the past in tiny Hampton County.(AP Picture: Jeffrey Collins)

“That is form of a glimpse at the place Alex Murdaugh got here from and the way he was … created,” Mr Dewitt Jr stated.

“Generations of wealth and privilege, generations of entitlement, of benefiting your self and your loved ones or your legislation agency, usually to the detriment of others in your city or your neighborhood.”

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There have been big wins for some shoppers, with juries who personally knew the Murdaughs and the opposite legislation companions sympathetic to their circumstances.

However the dynamic additionally got here at a price to the broader neighborhood.

Grocery store chain Wal-Mart cancelled plans within the early 2000s to construct a retailer in Hampton after getting recommendation that they’d be prone to being sued for something that occurred to an worker at any retailer in the entire state.

The place did the cash go?

Among the many many mysteries surrounding Alex Murdaugh is why, given he was raking in cash, he wanted to steal from shoppers, and what occurred to the lacking thousands and thousands.

A close up of a man's face in a prison uniform.
Alex Murdaugh has undergone a dramatic fall from grace since his arrest.(AP Picture: The State/Joshua Boucher)

Along with the $US4.3 million he took within the Satterfield case, he is been charged with embezzling round $US9 million from his agency and shoppers.

“The cash by no means is sensible. There was all the time sufficient cash for his life-style and no matter wants he might probably need,” Mr Richter stated.

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“It is simply onerous to ponder the depth of breaches of belief that this man dedicated over such an extended time period.”

It is also onerous to grasp the place the cash went.

Hampton County has a inhabitants of fewer than 20,000 and almost one-in-five individuals there stay in poverty, in comparison with simply over one-in-10 nationwide.

“It’s extremely rural. It’s frankly very poor,” Mr Richter stated.

“It is not possible to make that a lot cash go away in Hampton County and never accumulate wealth.”

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Prosecutors alleged in court docket filings for Alex Murdaugh’s homicide case that he had accrued substantial money owed over a interval of years.

Murdaugh admitted to the court docket throughout his trial that he had stolen from his shoppers due to an costly opioid habit.

However Mr Richter is sceptical that alone might account for his obvious want for cash.

“He professed at one level to having an opioid drawback, for which he spent as much as $US50,000 every week,” he stated.

“Nicely, that may’t be true. I imply, that if an OxyContin tablet has a road worth right here of $US15, , $US50,000 every week is 3,333 tablets. It is 496 tablets a day. It is humanly not attainable.”

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A receiver has been appointed to attempt to recuperate any belongings for the victims ready for his or her flip to take Alex Murdaugh to court docket.

In Hampton, the neighborhood stays deeply divided over their views on the entire saga and the Murdaugh household.

“You recognize, we discuss it amongst ourselves at a household dinner desk or within the magnificence parlour or the ironmongery shop. However, when outsiders are available, they have a tendency to hush up a little bit bit,” Mr Dewitt Jr stated.

“We will not escape it.”

He believes it is going to be a very long time earlier than the story is over in “this little neck of the woods”.

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“This, I suppose, continues to be our soiled laundry.”

A middle white aged man in a suit is handcuffed in a courtroom with a uniformed guard behind him
Alex Murdaugh will possible spend the remainder of his life in jail after his conviction.(AP Picture: The Submit And Courier/Andrew J Whitaker)



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South-Carolina

Alarming Increase In South Carolina Foreclosures – FITSNews

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Alarming Increase In South Carolina Foreclosures – FITSNews


Palmetto State’s soaring foreclosure rate is America’s highest …

South Carolina had the highest foreclosure rate in America last month, according to ATTOM – one of the nation’s leading sources of land, property and real estate data. The Palmetto State also showed the highest annual increase in foreclosure rates – an alarming uptick of 51 percent which ran “counter to the national trend.”

Of interest? Neighboring North Carolina and Georgia showed 52 percent and 34 percent reductions in their annual foreclosure rates last month, ranking No. 1 and No. 3 in the nation, respectively.

Things were already looking grim for the Palmetto State on this front. In 2023, South Carolina had the nation’s sixth-worst foreclosure rate – clocking in at 0.38 percent. Its capital city of Columbia also had the nation’s fourth-worst foreclosure rate among municipalities – registering at 0.55 percent.

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According to ATTOM’s data, there was one foreclosure for every 4,279 housing units nationwide last month. In South Carolina, however, that number climbed to one for every 2,248 housing units. In Columbia, there was one filing for every 1,478 housing units. South Carolina’s capital city had the worst foreclosure rate last month of any metropolitan statistical area in America, according to ATTOM. Spartanburg and Florence ranked third- and fifth-worst, respectively.

***

Foreclosures spiked between 2007-2011 as the sub-prime mortgage crisis hit America. Conversely, they plunged during the Covid-19 pandemic as government instituted emergency measures to facilitate “home retention.” An estimated 16 percent of Americans with mortgage loans availed themselves of government “forbearance” between April 2020 and December 2021, according to a report from the St. Louis Fed.

In South Carolina, an estimated $144 million was doled out to tens of thousands of households by the S.C. State Housing Finance and Development Authority (SCHousing.com) between 2020 and 2023.

Last year was the second consecutive year to show an uptick in foreclosures – although they remain below their pre-Covid levels and well below the unprecedented spikes seen during the sub-prime mortgage crisis.

Still, the numbers are not moving in the right direction – especially in South Carolina.

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“The annual uptick in U.S. foreclosure activity hints at shifting dynamics within the housing market,” said Rob Barber, ATTOM’s chief executive officer. “These trends could signify evolving financial landscapes for homeowners, prompting adjustments in market strategies and lending practices. We continue to closely monitor these trends to comprehend their complete effect on foreclosure activity.”

***

RELATED | EMPLOYMENT DATA PAINTS GLOOMY PICTURE

***

The release of these concerning foreclosure numbers comes as South Carolina’s “Republican” supermajority is debating what to do with an estimated $1.8 billion in newly discovered surplus money. This surplus – exclusively uncovered by our media outlet – could provided a rebate of as much as $1,250 to an estimated 1.44 million South Carolina taxpayers.

So far, lawmakers have yet to say whether they will rebate the $1.8 billion or plow it into the state’s bloated, antiquated bureaucracy – which is set to receive a record $40.1 billion in the latest “Republican” spending plan.

One reason foreclosures could be on the rise in South Carolina is the pervasive anemia of our workforce. According to data released last month, the Palmetto State’s labor participation rate for the month of January stood at a lowly 57.2 percent. That’s the fourth-worst rate in the nation – and puts the Palmetto State more than five percentage points behind the national average of 62.5 percent.

Count on this media outlet to keep our audience in the loop on the latest economic data impacting South Carolina citizens and taxpayers – and to continue pushing state lawmakers to make better decisions when it comes to safeguarding the health of our economy.

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***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

(Travis Bell Photography)

Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina and before that he was a bass guitarist and dive bar bouncer. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and seven (soon to be eight) children.

***

WANNA SOUND OFF?

Got something you’d like to say in response to one of our articles? Or an issue you’d like to proactively address? We have an open microphone policy here at FITSNews! Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. Got a tip for a story? CLICK HERE. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? CLICK HERE.



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Buy women's basketball tickets for Charleston (SC) vs. South Carolina Upstate on March 21

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Buy women's basketball tickets for Charleston (SC) vs. South Carolina Upstate on March 21


The South Carolina Upstate Spartans (16-15) play the Charleston (SC) Cougars (21-9) at 7:00 PM ET on Thursday, March 21, 2024.

If you’re looking to go to this game in person, head to StubHub or Ticketmaster to purchase your tickets!

Charleston (SC) vs. South Carolina Upstate Game Information

Watch college basketball, other live sports and more on Fubo! Use our link to sign up for a free trial.

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Charleston (SC) Players to Watch

  • Jenna Annecchiarico: 14.7 PTS, 4.5 REB, 5.8 AST, 2.8 STL, 0.2 BLK
  • Taryn Barbot: 14.7 PTS, 6.2 REB, 1.9 AST, 2.1 STL, 0.1 BLK
  • Jada Logan: 13.7 PTS, 5.6 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK
  • Alexis Andrews: 12.9 PTS, 3.9 REB, 1 AST, 1.3 STL, 0 BLK
  • Zoe McCrary: 4.8 PTS, 5.8 REB, 0.8 AST, 0.7 STL, 1 BLK

Catch college basketball action all season long on Fubo!

South Carolina Upstate Players to Watch

  • Trinity Johnson: 10.5 PTS, 4.1 REB, 4.8 AST, 2.1 STL, 0.1 BLK
  • Isabell West: 10.3 PTS, 6.7 REB, 0.8 AST, 0.9 STL, 0.6 BLK
  • Rebekah Gordon: 8.6 PTS, 4.6 REB, 0.5 AST, 0.8 STL, 0.2 BLK
  • AC Markham: 6 PTS, 5.3 REB, 1.5 AST, 0.5 STL, 0.5 BLK
  • Jeni Levine: 8 PTS, 2.3 REB, 1.3 AST, 1.6 STL, 0.1 BLK

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Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER.

© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved.



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Undefeated South Carolina No. 1 in Albany region full of fresh faces

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Undefeated South Carolina No. 1 in Albany region full of fresh faces


For the fourth straight season, South Carolina is a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. And once again, Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks are the favorites to win the Big Dance.

South Carolina (32-0) just completed their second consecutive undefeated regular season and captured the program’s eighth Southeastern Conference Tournament title. The Gamecocks will begin their pursuit of a third national championship under the direction of Staley on Friday at home in Columbia, S.C. The Gamecocks will take on the winner of a First Four matchup between a pair of 16-seeds, Sacred Heart (22-9) and Presbyterian (17-14).

The Gamecocks will have to play that game without leading scorer and rebounder Kamilla Cardoso, who must serve a one-game suspension after she was ejected from the SEC championship game for what the referees deemed was fighting during a late-game skirmish with LSU. Cardoso averages 14 points and 9.5 rebounds per game and sixth nationally in defensive rating with a 71.8 mark.

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“We all know that we’re a better basketball team when Kamilla Cardoso is in the lineup,” Staley said Sunday. “We’ll make do hopefully until she’s able to come back.”

Staley, who this week was voted Coach of the Year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association for the third straight year, has won comfortably without Cardoso this season though. The Gamecocks beat Missouri and UConn by an average margin of 28 points while the 6-foot-7 center was playing with the Brazilian national team in February. Cardoso also missed a 48-point win over Kentucky, when she was sidelined for rest.

In the win over UConn, it was Te-Hina Paopao who stepped up and scored 21 points. The transfer from Oregon has flourished under Staley, shooting a career-best 47.1 percent from 3-point land this season, which is 11th best in the country. Freshman MiLaysia Fulwiley has played well lately too, averaging 15 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game over her last six outings. Fulwiley was named SEC Tournament MVP after scoring 24 points in 16 minutes in the title game.

Fulwiley isn’t the only stellar freshman in the Albany 1 region. No. 2 Notre Dame (26-6) has been powered this season by Hannah Hidalgo, who has piled up stats and accolades.

After being voted Freshman of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Hidalgo poured in 58 points, 18 rebounds and 18 assists in three days in Greensboro, N.C. to help Notre Dame win its first ACC Tournament title since 2019. Hidalgo leads the nation in steals with 4.6 per game.

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“Hannah is a special player,” Irish teammate Sonia Citron said. “We knew before she even played a game. Just when she came in in the summer, she just has a different mentality, so in workouts, in practices, we kind of just knew she was going to be special. She’s just different.”

While the Irish have three players averaging double figures in scoring – Citron and Maddy Westbeld join Hidalgo’s 23.3 points per game in that group – they lack depth. Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey said Sunday that starting forward Kylee Watson would miss the NCAA Tournament with a torn ACL she suffered in the ACC Tournament. Notre Dame has played all of this season without All-American guard Olivia Miles, who had knee surgery last offseason.

Should South Carolina and Notre Dame meet in the Elite Eight, it will be a rematch of the season-opener for both teams, a 29-point win for the Gamecocks on a neutral court in Paris, France.

While South Carolina is undefeated, the nation’s second-longest win streak belongs to the Fairfield Stags, who are seeded 13th in this region. The Stags (31-1) – guided by second-year coach Carly Thibault-DuDonis – have won 29 games in a row and are ranked 25th in the latest AP Top 25 Poll. Fairfield, which begins its tournament at No. 4 Indiana, is also led by a standout freshman in forward Meghan Andersen, who averages 15.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.

“We’re excited to get ready and prepare for the week ahead and figure out the plan. It’s a team and a league I’m familiar with so I’m excited to get back to Big Ten country,” said Thibault-DuDonis, who was an assistant at Minnesota before coaching Fairfield.

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The Stags will aim to pull off an upset over the Hoosiers in Bloomington, Ind. The last MAAC team to win an NCAA Tournament game was Quinnipiac in 2018.

—On the other side of Indiana’s host site is No. 5 Oklahoma (22-9) against No. 12 Florida Gulf Coast (27-4). While the Sooners won the Big 12 regular season title, FGCU – coached Karl Smesko in his 21st season – has made a habit of first-round upsets. Since 2018, the Eagles have advanced to the second round in three of their last five tournament appearances.

—In the second round, South Carolina will likely face the winner of No. 8 North Carolina (19-12) vs. No. 9 Michigan State (22-8).

A meeting with the Tar Heels would be a rematch of a Nov. 30 game in Chapel Hill, which the Gamecocks won by seven points despite trailing by as much as 11 points in the second quarter. UNC and South Carolina also faced off in the 2022 Sweet 16 in Greensboro, N.C.

—This is the first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance for Presbyterian. Tilda Sjokvist, a sophomore from Sweden, leads the Blue Hose with 13 points and 3.5 assists per game.

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—Mitchell Northam, Field Level Media



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