South-Carolina

UConn-South Carolina women’s championship game a clash of titans in the sport

Published

11 months ago

April 6, 2025

UConn-South Carolina women’s championship game a clash of titans in the sport

On Sunday, UConn will either win its 12th national championship — all coming under legendary head coach Geno Auriemma — or Dawn Staley’s South Carolina program will win its third title in four years.

It’s the heaviest of heavy hitters squaring off here at Amalie Arena. Paige Bueckers is one of the greatest Huskies in program history but the rare UConn great without a national title to her name. South Carolina’s best players may be the ones who come off the bench. It’s a compelling stylistic matchup in its own right, made bigger by the Hall of Fame coaches on the sidelines and the increased attention on the women’s NCAA Tournament at large.

And it should be a heck of a game.

“There’s a sentimental narrative about Paige — a great freakin’ player,” Staley said Saturday. “Anybody would start their franchise with Paige because of her efficient way of playing, because she’s a winner, because she cerebrally just knows the game, just has an aura about her. And she’ll be the number one pick in the WNBA draft. And she’ll be an Olympian. She’ll be all those things. …

“(But) I want the sentiments to be about our players and what our players have been able to do — equally, because there’s room to do both. We can raise Paige up because she deserves that and raise our players up because they deserve that. And that’s not talked about enough. There’s room for it in our game.”

Bueckers’ final game in a Huskies uniform is also likely her biggest.

The Gamecocks are attempting to win back-to-back championships with a roster filled with familiar names but a team that wins differently from some of Staley’s title-winners in the past. There’s no Kamilla Cardoso. There’s no Aliyah Boston or A’ja Wilson. This is a team that comes at you in waves, with a deep rotation that includes stars like MiLaysia Fulwiley and freshman sensation Joyce Edwards coming off the bench. Any number of South Carolina players can step up to win a game when it matters most.

“To me, it’s just old-school basketball where you’re just playing to your strengths, and our strength is our depth, our ability to play together, to play linked up,” Staley said Saturday. “A staple for us has been our ability to defend because the offense will sometimes go off on a journey on its own, and our mainstay has been our ability to defend and come up with schemes that will help us through those stretches where we’ve got a lull from an offensive standpoint.

“It makes it easier when you’ve got a go-to player for sure. But it’s not an impossible thing to do if you don’t. You just have to lean on each other a lot more because you don’t have that go-to player.”

The Gamecocks do tend to start slow, like they did on Friday against Texas. They have a relentlessness and a sense of inevitability, meaning that they know their rugged defense will wear opponents down and their rotation will lead to fresh players late who can make big plays.

They can’t afford a slow start against a UConn team that is playing its best basketball right now. Bueckers scored 30-plus points in three games to lead the Huskies to the Final Four, and then Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong — her partners in crime — took over the national semifinal game early to set the tone and eventually beat No. 1 overall seed UCLA by a historic margin. UConn’s offense is efficient and masterful, with enviable ball movement, but this team is far from one-dimensional. Its collective defense is also astounding, as evidenced by the way the Huskies shut down Bruins center Lauren Betts, who had been one of the most dominant players in the country heading into Friday’s game. After the game, Auriemma said he didn’t think his players made a single mistake on the defensive end of the floor.

Sunday’s championship game is also a rematch; UConn went to Columbia, S.C., in February and beat the doors off the Gamecocks. The 87-58 rout snapped a 71-game home winning streak for South Carolina.

NCAA Womens Basketball: Final Four National Semifinal-Connecticut at UCLA

Two of women’s college basketball’s premier programs will face off in the national championship game when UConn goes against South Carolina on Sunday.

Both sides have downplayed that result heading into Sunday. UConn doesn’t want to lose focus because it beat a good team soundly nearly two months ago, behind Fudd’s 28 points. And the Gamecocks are using the loss as a motivator, but less because of UConn specifically and more because these players feel that a loss like that is part of the reason that fans and media members have spent the last month talking up teams not named South Carolina as the top national title contenders. (And, hey — when you’re the gold standard in the sport, you’ve got to figure out ways to motivate your incredibly talented roster however you can.)

The flip side, of course, is that UConn hasn’t won a national championship in nearly a decade. Auriemma won four in a row, through 2016, and then hasn’t cut down the nets since. It’s a drought of sorts for the program that has won more titles than anyone else in the history of women’s college basketball.

And this opportunity means a lot to the 71-year-old coach on the sidelines, the man who has seen such incredible growth in this sport over the past decade — including South Carolina’s emergence and dominance as well as increased parity among the upper echelon. Five different teams have won national titles since UConn’s last.

“How many more times can we do it? I don’t know,” Auriemma said. “But runs like this make you still feel relevant, like you still have an impact. Kids still respond. Our coaching staff is really, really good at what they do. And I’m fortunate enough to coach great kids who want to win for each other. There’s not a lot of drama on our team with all that NIL nonsense and guys that are halfway in the portal, halfway out during the season.

I’m really, really fortunate of what I have. Because when it stays like that, it’s very difficult to walk away from something like this.”

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South-Carolina

Botched South Carolina Drug Case Turns into Federal Lawsuit – FITSNews

Published

10 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Botched South Carolina Drug Case Turns into Federal Lawsuit – FITSNews

by JENN WOOD

***

A federal civil rights lawsuit filed in South Carolina accused Greenwood County law enforcement officers of wrongfully arresting and prosecuting a Florida man for fentanyl and cocaine offenses after a traffic stop — despite immediate evidence that the pills in his possession were lawfully prescribed medication.

In a complaint (.pdf) filed in federal court, Bryan Joseph Getchius accused Greenwood County, the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO), sheriff Dennis Kelly, and three GCSO officers of false arrest, malicious prosecution, negligent supervision and violations of his constitutional rights following a May 2024 stop.

That stop yielded fentanyl and cocaine charges that were ultimately dismissed.

According to the complaint, Getchius was driving through Greenwood County on May 15, 2024 – returning to Florida after visiting family in South Carolina – when deputies stopped his vehicle after observing what they described as swerving. During the stop, deputies searched the vehicle and found a prescription bottle bearing Getchius’ name containing blue pills prescribed as Dicyclomine, a medication commonly used to treat irritable bowel syndrome.

The complaint alleges GCSO deputy Wesley McClinton used his cellphone during the stop to search the pill markings and confirmed they matched Dicyclomine — yet still proceeded with field drug testing that produced presumptive positive results for fentanyl.

***

WARRANTS BUILT ON FIELD TESTS

The supporting arrest warrants (.pdf) reveal officers charged Getchius with three felony drug offenses arising from the stop: trafficking fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession of cocaine. According to the affidavits, these charges were based on pills and powder recovered from a prescription bottle that deputies said produced presumptive positive field-test results for fentanyl and cocaine.

Each affidavit — sworn by officer James Travis Freeman, who the lawsuit says was not present during the stop — described the pills as: “poorly made, broke apart with very small amount of force and were consistent with clandestinely manufactured fentanyl pills.”

The lawsuit argues those statements omitted a critical fact: deputies had already identified the pill markings as lawful prescription medication prior to Getchius’ arrest.

After the arrest, Greenwood County circuit court judge Frank Addy set a surety bond at $25,000 – and ordered Getchius placed on house arrest at his mother’s Greenwood residence under electronic monitoring.

The order allowed limited exceptions for employment, legal appointments, medical visits and religious services.

The complaint stated Getchius spent 15 days in jail before bonding out, then approximately seven months on home arrest – unable to return to his job in Florida or maintain the sobriety support network he had built after more than fourteen months of recovery.

***

RELATED | YET ANOTHER SLED AGENT CHARGED WITH DUI

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SLED LAB RESULTS COLLAPSE THE CASE

According to the lawsuit, the evidence was submitted to the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) forensic laboratory shortly after Getchius’ arrest, but final testing did not come back for more than sixteen months — a delay the complaint attributed to SLED’s well-documented forensic backlog, which it says involved roughly 18,000 pending cases statewide at the time.

When the final report (.pdf) was issued on October 1, 2025, SLED forensic scientist Elise London found every tested item contained Dicyclomine — and nothing illegal.

The SLED report specifically found:

fifty blue tablets marked LAN 1282 were Dicyclomine,
blue powder residue was Dicyclomine,
eight capsules marked 0586 LANETT were Dicyclomine,
two additional capsules marked 0586 LANETT were also Dicyclomine.

The lab further noted the tablets’ physical characteristics were “consistent with a pharmaceutical preparation,” directly contradicting warrant language describing them as crudely manufactured narcotics.

According to the complaint, prosecutors offered Getchius a plea deal after receiving the lab report — proposing he plead guilty to a reduced possession charge despite the absence of any controlled substance. He refused, and the charges were later dismissed.

***

BROADER QUESTIONS ABOUT FIELD TESTS

Beyond Getchius’ individual case, the lawsuit touches on a broader issue in South Carolina drug enforcement: arrests frequently begin with presumptive roadside field tests, while definitive laboratory confirmation may take months — or, in backlog cases, more than a year — leaving serious felony charges in place until forensic testing catches up with the allegations.

The complaint alleged Greenwood County failed to properly train its officers on the known limitations of field drug testing, probable cause standards, and the constitutional obligation to include exculpatory information in warrant affidavits.

It also alleged county officials permitted a broader practice of relying on field-test results even when contradictory pharmaceutical evidence was available at the scene.

Getchius seeks actual damages, consequential damages, punitive damages, attorney’s fees and costs.

***

THE COMPLAINT…

***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

As a private investigator turned journalist, Jenn Wood brings a unique skill set to FITSNews as its research director. Known for her meticulous sourcing and victim-centered approach, she helps shape the newsroom’s most complex investigative stories while producing the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporated podcasts. Jenn lives in South Carolina with her family, where her work continues to spotlight truth, accountability, and justice.

***

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South-Carolina

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

Published

22 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

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

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

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

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

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

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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South-Carolina

Source: Lamont Paris returning to South Carolina next season

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

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.

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.

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