South-Carolina
What lessons South Carolina women’s basketball learned in narrow victory vs Georgia
COLUMBIA — South Carolina women’s basketball hasn’t had to scratch and claw in many of its victories this season.
The ones they did came against tough teams like North Carolina, LSU and Tennessee. On Sunday, with bottom-of-the-SEC Georgia in town, the Gamecocks (25-0, 12-0 SEC) were expected to roll.
Instead, with ESPN’s “College GameDay” in town and the fourth sell-out crowd of South Carolina’s season, it was the Bulldogs (11-14, 2-10) who entered with the energy and momentum usually expected of the nation’s No. 1 team.
Thanks to a 21-point second-half advantage, the Gamecocks fought their way to a 70-56 win, but they have struggled in two straight games, and coach Dawn Staley said it was their time for a slump.
“Some teams have gone through this all season long,” she said. “For us, it’s our turn. We don’t want it to be, but it’s our turn to work through the next step of continuing to improve on things.”
Even while the Gamecocks work through a miniature skid, however, they’re still breaking records. The win against Georgia was their 43rd consecutive regular-season SEC victory, breaking a record held by Tennessee. They also became the first SEC program to start 25-0 in back-to-back seasons.
“We’ve been fortunate that we learn lessons through winning,” Staley said. “You don’t want to take a loss and learn a lesson. Lessons are right there in front of us — we just have to do a better job of executing.”
One lesson she emphasized to her team on Sunday: An open shot isn’t always a good shot.
The Gamecocks forced 17 3-point attempts before halftime, making just six and digging a seven-point deficit. They took only eight shots within the arc in the half, a trend they worked to reverse after the break.
“Our coaches told us to be smart, be disciplined,” freshman guard MiLaysia Fulwiley said. “We were just going up there and making things harder than they were supposed to be. Once we settled down and did what Coach wanted us to do, I feel like we started to make great plays.”
Staley said South Carolina moved the ball better in the second half, allowing the offense to find soft spots in Georgia’s defense, especially for senior center Kamilla Cardoso, who had plenty of room to work in the second half and recorded 12 points and 11 rebounds. She finished the game with team highs with 16 points, 16 rebounds and tying for five assists. Sophomore forward Chloe Kitts was able to work off Cardoso’s success, adding 10 of her 12 points in the half.
“(Cardoso) was being super aggressive,” Kitts said. “She was using her moves we work on in practice. Five assists — she’s not just worried about herself, she likes playing with her teammates.”
The Gamecocks also switched up the defensive strategy against Georgia fifth-year forward Javyn Nicholson. After she went for 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting in the first half, Staley opted to roll with Cardoso against Nicholson instead of Kitts.
The added length Cardoso brought on defense helped slow Nicholson, who scored just nine points on 3-of-10 shooting in the second half. She finished the game with a season-high 27 points and 12 rebounds.
SOUTH CAROLINA MEN’S BASKETBALL: South Carolina basketball loses to LSU on free throws in final seconds
The Gamecocks whittled their magic number to 1; they can clinch a share of the SEC title and the No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament with a win Wednesday at home against Alabama.
South Carolina has the luxury of possessing talent that allows wins like Sunday’s, when it needs a comeback to win a game in which it struggled early. With a team full of new starters after roster turnover from last season, Staley said that would make an SEC title a little sweeter.
“It’s a work in progress,” she said. “We’ve got to get it together because it just gets tougher and tougher as we continue down this road, down the end of the season into the postseason.”
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 April 19, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL numbers from April 19 drawing
Evening: 6-2-0, FB: 6
Check Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL numbers from April 19 drawing
Evening: 6-7-6-3, FB: 6
Check Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from April 19 drawing
Evening: 05
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Palmetto Cash 5 numbers from April 19 drawing
12-24-27-30-35
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.
All that separated Connor Doyal from the biggest win of his amateur golfing career was 5 feet of perfectly manicured green on Hole No. 18 at Naples National Golf Club. That plus a super-sized case of the yips.
“My hands were shaking uncontrollably,” said the 26-year-old mid-amateur from Charleston, South Carolina. “But I’ve had some moments like this before, and I think I’ve just learned to let it happen and not fight it. I knew it wasn’t going to be the best stroke of my life, but in the moment, I just had to trust myself to make the putt.”
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Just as he had for much of the third and final round of the 30th annual Terra Cotta Invitational, Doyal delivered, dropping in the putt to win the event by one stroke over 17-year-old junior golfer Dawson Lew of Toronto, Canada.
Connor Doyal, a 26-year-old mid-amateur golfer from Charleston, S.C., celebrates with the trophy after winning the 30th annual Terra Cotta Invitational on Saturday, April 18, 2026.
Doyal, who entered the day two shots behind co-leaders Giuseppe Puebla of Royal Palm Beach and University of Florida senior Parker Bell, shot 5-under 67 to finish 12-under, two shots off the low-scoring record for the 54-hole tournament.
“Honestly, I just hit the ball fantastic start to finish,” Doyal said. “I hit a ton of greens and then the putter started heating up. I woke up feeling good this morning, and I knew I had it in me.
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“Coming down the stretch, I had to battle. I’m just glad it’s over. I mean, the heart rate is still extremely high right now.”
Doyal had seven birdies in his final round, the best of which came on the par-4 No. 14. He used his six-iron to blast his second shot 220 yards to within inches of the cup, setting up a short putt that gave him a one-shot lead over Bell.
Doyal followed with a birdie on No. 15 to up his lead to two strokes, but made things interesting by shorting a putt on No. 17 for bogey.
Playing in a group just ahead of Doyel, Lew missed a 35-foot try for birdie on the par-5 No. 18 a smidge left to finish at 11-under after a final round 68.
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Clinging to that one-shot lead on No. 18, an admittedly amped-up Doyal nearly overshot the green on his third shot from about 80 yards out, the ball settling on the back fringe. He followed with a deft chip, setting up his tournament-winning putt.
“It was a little bit nervy there, but I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Doyal said. “I’m always going to be able to look back at that up and down on 18 and be like I have what it takes when the pressure is on.”
Widely regarded as one of the best amateur events for junior golfers in the country, the Terra Cotta’s field included nearly the entirety of the top 25 in the Rolex American Junior Golf rankings. That included Luke Colton of Frisco, Texas, who was gunning for an unprecedented third consecutive Terra Cotta championship. The 18-year-old Vanderbilt commit came up short in his quest, finishing 3-under and in a tie for 21st place.
“I started off pretty bad, just kind of had a weird first day,” said Colton, who opened with a 2-over 74. “Nothing was going my way. But I was pretty happy with the way I ended it.”
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Colton said the Terra Cotta is one of his favorite events of the season.
“You’ve got a great field and obviously an amazing course,” he said. “I think that’s why everybody wants to come and play at this tournament.”
Another top junior was a late and unreported entry to the Terra Cotta. Charlie Woods, son of golfing great Tiger Woods, got off to a rough start with an opening round 79, but shot a 3-under 69 in the final round to finish in a tie for 42nd place with a 3-over 219.
Among the five Naples-area competitors, former Gulf Coast High School standout and current University of Florida golfer Noah Kent had the best showing. The 20-year-old finished with a 2-over 218 for the tournament, placing him in a tie for 34th. The other local entrants were Spencer Ives (220), Brian Bassett (222), Jack Ryan Donovan (224), and Kaden Latrielle (229).
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Contact Sports Reporter Dan DeLuca at ddeluca@usatodayco.com. For the best sports coverage in Southwest Florida, follow @newspresssports and @ndnprepzone on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Connor Doyal wins Florida amateur event, Charlie Woods ties for 42nd
Columbia, Mo. — The South Carolina softball team (25-21, 4-13) dropped the second game of its series at Missouri (24-23, 7-10) 5-0 Saturday night (Apr. 18).
Kai Byars led the Gamecocks with a pair of doubles on the night. It was her second multi-hit game of the season and her first game with multiple extra base hits.
The Tigers scored a run in the third inning without the aid of a hit. They would extend the lead and add four more in the fourth.
Carolina’s best opportunity for a run came in third. Byars doubled to lead off the inning and Shae Anderson followed with a bunt single. A double play on a potential sacrifice fly ended the rally.
Emma Friedel (8-4) took the loss, allowing one run on no hits in 3 1-3 innings. She struck out six and walked three.
The rubber game of the series will be tomorrow at 2 p.m. ET.
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