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More eyes, more scrutiny: South Carolina-LSU scrap seen as a bad look for growing women’s game

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More eyes, more scrutiny: South Carolina-LSU scrap seen as a bad look for growing women’s game


GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — More eyes, more fans and more scrutiny. The good and the bad of the game has all come into sharper focus as women’s college basketball continues to grow in popularity.

What fans saw Sunday in the Southeastern Conference tournament championship was No. 1 South Carolina and LSU getting into a late-game confrontation that led to multiple ejections. Chippy play, plenty of trash talking and players thrown out — something more familiar to fans watching an NBA game.

“I just don’t want the people who are tuning in to women’s basketball to see that and think that is our game, because it isn’t,” said South Carolina coach Dawn Staley, who apologized to the crowd and in postgame interviews. “Our game is a really beautiful thing.”

Not always.

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Earlier this season, Ohio State fans were criticized for a court-storming incident where Iowa star Caitlin Clark collided with a fan rushing to celebrate. Last year, Clark and LSU star Angel Reese’s trash talking in the national championship game. surprised fans who may not know that the women’s game has plenty of that, just as it has hard fouls and rough-and-tumble play.

Last November, the NCAA said it was putting a new emphasis on sportsmanship after last season saw a 33% increase in technical fouls, including a 77% increase on techs given to head coaches and a whopping 193% increase on technical fouls assessed to personnel on the bench. Ejections were way up and there were at least two prominent on-court fights.

A month ago, five players were ejected during a game between Southern Miss and Arkansas State but that was an under-the-radar game. The LSU-South Carolina skirmish happened in front of 13,163 screaming fans at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena and many more watching on ESPN.

With about two minutes left in South Carolina’s 79-72 victory, MiLaysia Fulwiley stole the ball from LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson, who then intentionally fouled her to prevent a breakaway basket. Fulwiley’s teammate, Ashlyn Watkins, walked past, yelling at Johnson, who pushed her away. Soon after, 6-foot-7 South Carolina star Kamilla Cardoso ran in and pushed the 5-foot-10 Johnson to the ground as both benches emptied.

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Security, officials and coaches eventually calmed things down. Johnson’s brother was arrested and faces charges after police say he jumped over the scorer’s table to get involved.

Cardoso was ejected for fighting while three of her teammates were thrown out for leaving the bench, as were two LSU players. Cardoso will face a one-game suspension, per NCAA rules, and miss the Gamecocks’ NCAA Tournament opener next week.

Debbie Antonelli, a North Carolina State Hall of Fame player and basketball analyst, said the game’s intensity at the college level has always been high.

“I think when you step between the lines you’re athletes and this is what competitive athletes do,” Antonelli said Monday.

LSU coach Kim Mulkey said she thought officials did not call a tight enough game.

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“Do you realize there was only one foul called on each team with two minutes to play in the fourth quarter? Are you kidding me?,” Mulkey said. “That might have created some of that.”

South Carolina finished off the final two minutes of the 79-72 victory and then Staley took control, apologizing to fans during the trophy ceremony and in media interviews for her team’s actions.

“We talk about these things as a team, and we try as much as possible to express to them how to react in those type of situations,” Staley said. “Real time is real time. I know that anybody, Kamilla, as well as the other four or five players that were ejected, I know if they had a chance to do it all over again, they would do it differently.”

Staley said LSU’s Johnson apologized for her actions and Cardoso took to social media after the game’s end to say she was sorry for her actions and pledged to do better.

Antonelli said there is no place for fighting in any game, men’s or women’s, and believes fans understand that this was unusual, not a trend.

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“It’s going to be a storyline when South Carolina plays the 16th seed (in the NCAA Tournament) and then we’ll move past it,” she said.

Staley hopes that’s the case, too.

“This is a part of it now,” she said. “So we have to fix it and we have to move on.”

___

AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

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South Carolina Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for March 10, 2026

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South Carolina Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for March 10, 2026


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The South Carolina Education Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

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Here’s a look at March 10, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from March 10 drawing

16-21-30-35-65, Mega Ball: 07

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL numbers from March 10 drawing

Midday: 7-8-3, FB: 4

Evening: 6-9-0, FB: 0

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Check Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL numbers from March 10 drawing

Midday: 3-7-7-1, FB: 4

Evening: 1-3-5-8, FB: 0

Check Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from March 10 drawing

Midday: 07

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Evening: 06

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Palmetto Cash 5 numbers from March 10 drawing

04-05-06-07-11

Check Palmetto Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

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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

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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

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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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Source: Lamont Paris returning to South Carolina next season

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Source: Lamont Paris returning to South Carolina next season


NOTE: The above video is a livestream of WIS featuring current newscasts, Soda City Living and Gray Media’s Local News Live.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – Lamont Paris will remain the head coach for South Carolina men’s basketball next season.

A source confirmed to WIS that Paris will return for his fifth season at the helm.

The Gamecocks have gone 62-67 under Paris, which included an NCAA Tournament appearance during the 2023-24 season. In the two seasons since, however, South Carolina has gone 12-20 and 13-18, respectively.

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Paris’s tenure has also included a 23-49 record against the SEC as of Tuesday.

The Gamecocks will face Oklahoma on Wednesday in the first round of the SEC Tournament in Nashville. Tipoff is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. The game will also be televised on the SEC Network.

Feel more informed, prepared, and connected with WIS. For more free content like this, subscribe to our email newsletter, and download our apps. Have feedback that can help us improve? Click here.



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Alexander brothers convicted of sex trafficking in Manhattan federal court

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Alexander brothers convicted of sex trafficking in Manhattan federal court


NEW YORK — Three brothers, including two of the nation’s most successful luxury real estate brokers, were convicted of sex trafficking Monday after a five-week trial over accusations that they drugged and raped scores of women they had dazzled with their wealth and opulent lifestyle.

The verdict came after 11 women testified in Manhattan federal court they were sexually assaulted by one or more of the brothers: twins Oren and Alon Alexander, 38, and Tal Alexander, 39. All three shook their heads as the jury foreperson said “guilty” 19 straight times, a powerful reckoning that could put them behind bars for the rest of their lives.

Tal Alexander dropped his head into his crossed arms. Their stunned parents sat in the gallery behind them. Alon Alexander’s wife shielded her face with her hand and appeared to fight back tears.

Judge Valerie E. Caproni set sentencing for Aug. 6. The brothers, jailed since their 2024 arrests, will appeal the verdict, their lawyers said.

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“We believe in our clients’ innocence and we’re not going to stop fighting until we prevail, and we believe that we will one day prevail,” defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo said outside the courthouse.

U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton lauded the verdict as vindication for victims of crimes that often go unreported and unpunished.

“The truth is sex trafficking and other federal sex offenses are present in many walks of life and we have not done enough to root it out,” Clayton said in a statement.

Dozens of women say they were drugged and assaulted

The verdict represented a spectacular fall for Oren and Tal Alexander, once known as real estate’s “A Team” for their high-ticket sales and celebrity clientele. After smashing sales records at industry powerhouse Douglas Elliman, the brothers started their own firm. Alon Alexander ran their family’s private security company.

Victims testified that they met the brothers at nightclubs, parties and on dating apps, and were attacked after accepting their invitations to all-expense paid getaways to the Hamptons; Aspen, Colorado; and a Caribbean cruise. More than 60 women say they were raped by one or more of the brothers, according to prosecutors.

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Defense lawyers suggested the accusers had faulty memories or were hoping to cash in on the brothers’ fortunes. The brothers were womanizers, their lawyers conceded. But they insisted any sex was consensual.

In addition to the top charges, Alon and Tal Alexander were also convicted of sex trafficking of a minor while Alon and Oren Alexander were convicted of aggravated sexual abuse by force or intoxicant and sexual abuse of a physically incapacitated person. Oren Alexander was also convicted of sexually exploiting a minor after prosecutors showed the jury a video he recorded of himself appearing to assault a drugged 17-year-old.

Lawsuits expose an open secret in the real estate world

Besides the criminal case, the brothers have faced about two dozen lawsuits over the last two years, including one filed last week in which Tracy Tutor, a star of Bravo’s “Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles,” alleges Oren Alexander drugged and assaulted her while she was in New York City for a real estate event.

When the first of the lawsuits were filed, multiple women came forward claiming they had also been assaulted, and that the brothers’ misconduct had been an open secret in the real estate world. The government took notice and opened a criminal case.

During the trial, many women who testified said they believed the brothers had spiked their drinks. Some described feeling like they’d lost control of their bodies.

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One woman testified that she met the brothers in 2012 at a party at actor Zac Efron’s Manhattan apartment. She said she had almost no interaction with the actor, who was not accused of any misdeeds, and went to a nightclub later in the night before waking up naked with a nude Alon Alexander standing over her.

“I don’t want to have sex with you,” she testified telling him. “Haha, you already did,” she recalled him snapping back as he “laughed in my face.”

Testimony challenges claim that money drove allegations

Prosecutors pushed back against the idea that the accusers were hoping to cash in on lawsuits. Only two have lawsuits pending, prosecutor Elizabeth Espinosa told jurors, and both are wealthy.

One woman who testified said she was raped by Alon Alexander in Aspen, Colorado, in 2017, when she was 17. She said she was the daughter of a billionaire.

“I don’t want their money. I just don’t want them to have it,” she told jurors.

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Lindsey Acree, an artist and gallery owner, testified she was raped by Tal Alexander and another man at a home in the Hamptons in 2011 after taking a drink that left her feeling paralyzed.

The woman said she sued last year even though she will “never need their money” because the Alexanders “kept calling us gold diggers, shake down artists, con artists.”

“If there’s a kid with a stick who keeps hitting people, you take their stick away,” she told the jury. “Money is their stick, so you take it away so they can’t hurt people anymore.”

The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they choose to come forward publicly, as Acree and Tutor have done.

Copyright 2026 NPR

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