South-Carolina
Cardoso's first-ever 3 rescues No. 1 South Carolina at SEC Tournament with 74-73 win over Lady Vols
GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Kamilla Cardoso banked in her first-ever 3-pointer at the buzzer and rescued No. 1 South Carolina’s perfect season with a 74-73 victory over Tennessee at the Southeastern Conference Tournament semifinals on Saturday.
The Gamecocks (31-0) had blown a 23-point lead and trailed the Lady Vols (19-12) 73-71 with 1.1 seconds left. But Raven Johnson’s pass found an open Cardoso at the top of the key and the team’s leading scorer and rebounder calmly shot it off glass and in.
“I knew with the players we had on the floor, pretty much the only person who was going to be open was Kamilla,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said. “So I just told Raven (Johnson) to get the ball to Kamilla. And I told Kamila, ‘Hey, pass it to (Te-Hina) Paopao,’ and then at the last second I was like, ‘Kamila, shoot it.’”
Cardoso was mobbed by her joyous teammates as the large South Carolina crowd — the campus is only about a 100-mile drive from the Greenville arena — cheered in celebration.
“I was very happy my teammates believed in me,” Cardoso said. “I didn’t have best game I could have, off all night. I was happy I could make the shot and take them to the finals.”
Cardoso was playing in front of her mom and sister who came up from Brazil to celebrate senior day with her last weekend. This week was their first chance to see her play in person since she left the country at age 15.
The Gamecocks advance to their ninth tournament final in the past 10 seasons and will look for their eighth title in that span against either No. 8 LSU or Mississippi.
Rickea Jackson ended with 22 points, 19 in the final two quarters as Tennessee fought back from 35-12 down late in the second quarter. Her putback with 25 seconds left gave the Lady Vols their first lead of the game.
After Johnson missed a 3-pointer with 6 seconds left, Jasmine Powell got the rebound and was fouled. She missed both free throws and with no timeouts left, South Carolina went up the floor.
Tennessee, which wasn’t in the free throw bonus yet, fouled South Carolina near midcourt with 1.1 seconds left setting up the fantastic finish.
Jewell Spear added 21 points for the Lady Vols.
Things could not have started any better for South Carolina — or any worse for the Lady Vols.
The Gamecocks opened up a 13-0 lead while Tennessee struggled to hit anything, missing its first 10 shots. South Carolina, behind the dynamic Fulwiley, eventually led 35-12 and looked it would put things away by halftime.
But the Lady Vols finished the second quarter on an 11-1 run to cut the 23-point deficit to 36-23 at the break.
BIG PICTURE
Tennessee: Heartbreak time for the Lady Vols, who had given South Carolina everything it had in three meetings all season yet lost them all. Tennessee needs the extra time off simply to get past this disappointing result.
South Carolina: The Gamecocks had not overcome a challenge like this all season and it prove fruitful as they get closer to their championship goals.
UP NEXT
South Carolina will play for its eighth SEC Tournament title since 2015 on Sunday.
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AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball
South-Carolina
South Carolina Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for Dec. 19, 2025
Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win
Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
The South Carolina Education Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 19, 2025, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from Dec. 19 drawing
01-11-27-39-59, Mega Ball: 18
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL numbers from Dec. 19 drawing
Midday: 8-0-3, FB: 2
Evening: 1-0-0, FB: 6
Check Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL numbers from Dec. 19 drawing
Midday: 1-7-3-9, FB: 2
Evening: 7-1-9-3, FB: 6
Check Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from Dec. 19 drawing
Midday: 01
Evening: 14
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Palmetto Cash 5 numbers from Dec. 19 drawing
07-18-20-25-41
Check Palmetto Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
The South Carolina Education Lottery provides multiple ways to claim prizes, depending on the amount won:
For prizes up to $500, you can redeem your winnings directly at any authorized South Carolina Education Lottery retailer. Simply present your signed winning ticket at the retailer for an immediate payout.
Winnings $501 to $100,000, may be redeemed by mailing your signed winning ticket along with a completed claim form and a copy of a government-issued photo ID to the South Carolina Education Lottery Claims Center. For security, keep copies of your documents and use registered mail to ensure the safe arrival of your ticket.
SC Education Lottery
P.O. Box 11039
Columbia, SC 29211-1039
For large winnings above $100,000, claims must be made in person at the South Carolina Education Lottery Headquarters in Columbia. To claim, bring your signed winning ticket, a completed claim form, a government-issued photo ID, and your Social Security card for identity verification. Winners of large prizes may also set up an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) for convenient direct deposit of winnings.
Columbia Claims Center
1303 Assembly Street
Columbia, SC 29201
Claim Deadline: All prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the draw date for draw games.
For more details and to access the claim form, visit the South Carolina Lottery claim page.
When are the South Carolina Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
- Pick 4: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
- Cash Pop: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
- Palmetto Cash 5: 6:59 p.m. ET daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Carolina editor. You can send feedback using this form.
South-Carolina
Teacher salaries could increase under proposed South Carolina budget plan
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WACH) — Teacher salaries across South Carolina could rise under a new state education funding plan approved this week, as lawmakers are urged to spend more money on pay raises and rethink how teacher recruitment programs are working.
The S.C. Education Oversight Committee voted to approve its Education Improvement Act (EIA) budget recommendations for fiscal years 2026–27, which direct how money from the state’s one-cent education sales tax should be used.
The plan now goes to the General Assembly for consideration during budget talks.
A major focus of the proposal is increasing teacher pay. The committee recommended a $650,454 raise for teachers at special schools, with remaining new funds directed to the statewide EIA line that helps fund teacher salaries.
The plan also boosts the Teaching Fellows scholarship program, which members said is one of the few recruitment efforts producing results.
The committee approved a $640,000 increase to add 20 new four-year scholarships and another $1.76 million to raise the scholarship amount by $4,000, bringing the total award for juniors and seniors to $10,000.
At the same time, the committee cut $5 million in recurring funding from the National Board program, citing a drop in participation.
EIA-funded programs collectively asked for about $210 million in new funding, but available money is limited. The state has about $98.9 million in new recurring EIA funds and $84.1 million in nonrecurring funds to work with.
The committee recommended spending most recurring funds on classroom support, including $77.5 million for instructional support and $10 million for instructional materials.
Other recurring funding includes $1.4 million for the Teacher Career Ladder, $250,000 for Project Read and $150,000 for the S.C. Council on Economics. Nonrecurring funds include $5 million for school safety.
Members also approved changes to rules tied to the Teacher Loan Program and asked that districts in the state’s 4K waitlist pilot not be required to complete a student survey.
During the meetings, committee members raised concerns about the low number of teachers produced by most EIA-funded recruitment programs.
Teaching Fellows was highlighted as an exception, producing 177 teachers last fiscal year.
Members also questioned continued funding for SC Youth Challenge and incentives tied to the Rural Teacher Recruitment program.
South-Carolina
South Carolina Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 results for Dec. 18, 2025
Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win
Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
The South Carolina Education Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 18, 2025, results for each game:
Winning Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL numbers from Dec. 18 drawing
Midday: 3-8-2, FB: 0
Evening: 1-0-6, FB: 8
Check Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL numbers from Dec. 18 drawing
Midday: 9-6-5-7, FB: 0
Evening: 7-9-1-5, FB: 8
Check Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from Dec. 18 drawing
Midday: 13
Evening: 09
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Palmetto Cash 5 numbers from Dec. 18 drawing
13-19-23-32-35
Check Palmetto Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
The South Carolina Education Lottery provides multiple ways to claim prizes, depending on the amount won:
For prizes up to $500, you can redeem your winnings directly at any authorized South Carolina Education Lottery retailer. Simply present your signed winning ticket at the retailer for an immediate payout.
Winnings $501 to $100,000, may be redeemed by mailing your signed winning ticket along with a completed claim form and a copy of a government-issued photo ID to the South Carolina Education Lottery Claims Center. For security, keep copies of your documents and use registered mail to ensure the safe arrival of your ticket.
SC Education Lottery
P.O. Box 11039
Columbia, SC 29211-1039
For large winnings above $100,000, claims must be made in person at the South Carolina Education Lottery Headquarters in Columbia. To claim, bring your signed winning ticket, a completed claim form, a government-issued photo ID, and your Social Security card for identity verification. Winners of large prizes may also set up an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) for convenient direct deposit of winnings.
Columbia Claims Center
1303 Assembly Street
Columbia, SC 29201
Claim Deadline: All prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the draw date for draw games.
For more details and to access the claim form, visit the South Carolina Lottery claim page.
When are the South Carolina Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
- Pick 4: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
- Cash Pop: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
- Palmetto Cash 5: 6:59 p.m. ET daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Carolina editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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