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South Carolina guard Tyasha Harris (52) is defended by Mississippi State guard Myah Taylor during the Gamecocks' 81-79 win on Monday in Columbia.

No. 1 South Carolina women beat No. 9 Mississippi St 81-79
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Local Sports

Brown scores 18, Lady Gamecocks improve to 14-3 with 60-32 victory over Blythewood

Sumter High School’s varsity girls basketball team improved to 14-3 overall and 2-0 in region play with a 60-32 road victory over Blythewood on Tuesday.

Strickland's 17 points leads Wolverines over Andrews 76-48

East Clarendon’s varsity boys basketball team improved to 13-3 overall and a perfect 7-0 in region play with a 76-48 victory over Andrews on Tuesday.

USC Sumter softball hosting winter clinic on Saturday

The University of South Carolina Sumter softball team host its annual winter clinic on Saturday at Patriot Park SportPlex. The camp will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is open to all high school players who will graduate between 2020 and …

Sumter High School's Gabby Kirkman, seated in the center of the table, has signed to play softball with the University of South Carolina Union. Seated with Kirkman, left to right, are grandmother Carrie Kirkman, grandmother Ann Wilson, grandfather Conyers Wilson, father Cedric Kirkman, mother Jamelle Kirkman and grandmother Grace Wilson.

Sumter's Kirkman signs to play softball at USC Union

As is the case with practically every child at eight years of age, Gabby Kirkman was still trying to figure out what she wanted to pursue for fun. "I had done ballet, dance, cheer," Kirkman said. "I told my parents I wanted to do something else …

Lakewood guard Quentin Hodge (3) drives against A.C. Flora in the Gators' 62-56 loss on Friday at The Swamp. Hodge scored 18 points.

Lakewood boys show improvement despite tough loss to A.C. Flora

Lakewood High School's varsity boys basketball team entered Region IV-4A play with just a 3-8 overall record. Just two games into region play though and it's obvious the Gators are playing much better than they did in non-region action. Lakewood …

From the Wire

New Orleans forward Zion Williamson is expected to make his NBA regular-season debut against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.

Williamson rejoining Pelicans in time for playoff push

METAIRIE, La. - Zion Williamson opened with a joke - about himself. A monthslong recovery from arthroscopic knee surgery is finally behind the New Orleans Pelicans rookie and top overall draft choice. And when Williamson discussed the long wait …

Former New York Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday.

Jeter vote short of unanimous pick to Hall; Walker in

NEW YORK - Derek Jeter came within one vote of being a unanimous pick for the Hall of Fame while Larry Walker also earned baseball's highest honor on Tuesday. The longtime New York Yankees captain appeared on 396 of 397 ballots cast by the …

Portland guard Damian Lillard, right, shoots against the Golden State Warriors during the Trail Blazers' 129-124 win in Portland, Oregon, on Monday. Lillard scored a franchise high 61 points.

Lillard scores 61 as Blazers beat Warriors 129-124 in OT

PORTLAND, Ore. - After setting a Portland record with 61 points, Damian Lillard knew exactly who held the old mark. He did. Lillard topped his own franchise scoring high Monday night in the Trail Blazers' 129-124 overtime victory against the …

Memphis' Ja Morant poses with Murray State fans before the Grizzlies' 113-109 win over Cleveland on Friday in Memphis, Tennessee. More than 1,000 Murray State fans made the 3-hour ride from Murray, Kentucky, to see Morant, the standout rookie from Crestwood High School who was an All-American last season at Murray State.

Simmons' triple-double lifts 76ers past Nets 117-111

NEW YORK (AP) - Ben Simmons tied a career high with 34 points and added 12 rebounds and 12 assists, carrying the Philadelphia 76ers to a 117-111 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Monday. Announced as the Eastern Conference player of the week …

Former Baylor defensive coordinator Phil Snow will join Matt Rhule with the Carolina Panthers in the same role this season.

Snow rejoins Rhule as Panthers new defensive coordinator

CHARLOTTE - Phil Snow is rejoining head coach Matt Rhule in Carolina as the new Panthers defensive coordinator. Snow previously served as defensive coordinator under Rhule at Baylor from 2017-19 and Temple from 2013-16. Snow has spent 37 …

Prep Sports

Boykin leads Lady Swampcats past Orangeburg Prep 41-35

Laurence Manning Academy’s varsity girls basketball team improved to 8-6 on the season and 2-1 in region play with a 41-35 victory over Orangeburg Prep on Friday.

Swampcats improve to 13-5 with 58-48 victory over Orangeburg Prep

Laurence Manning Academy’s varsity boys basketball team improved to 13-5 on the season and 2-1 in region play with a 58-48 victory over Orangeburg Prep on Friday.

Big second quarter lifts Lady Knights past LR

Crestwood High School's varsity girls basketball team opened the second quarter of Friday's Region IV-4A game with Lower Richland on a 13-2 run that broke open what had been a close game and helped propel the Lady Knights to a 61-42 win at The Castle.

Dinkins, McElveen, Barrett record double-doubles, Lady Cavaliers cruise to 72-31 victory over Conway Christian

Robert E. Lee Academy’s varsity girls basketball team improved to 8-1 overall with a 72-31 victory over Conway Christian on Friday.

Lady Stallions top No. 7 Buford 49-37

Lee Central’s varsity girls basketball team improved to 10-4 overall and 5-0 in region play with a 49-37 victory over seventh-ranked Buford on Friday.

CLEMSON

Clemson running back Travis Etienne (9) announced on Friday that he will be coming back to school for his senior season.

Two-time ACC player of the year Etienne returning to Clemson

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) - Two-time Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year Travis Etienne is returning to Clemson for his senior season. Etienne, the 5-foot-10, 210-pound junior running back from Jennings, Louisiana, announced his decision on …

Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) will return next season, looking to lead the Tigers to a third straight national championship game.

A familiar AP top 10 looking to 2020

The final Associated Press Top 25 of the season has a familiar look. LSU is No. 1 after winning the national championship. Add Clemson, Ohio State, Georgia, Florida, Oklahoma and Alabama and you have seven of the preseason top 10 teams finishing …

Clemson's Aamir Simms makes a pass (25) under the basket during the Tigers' 79-72 win over Duke on Tuesday in Clemson.

After beating UNC, Clemson knocks off No. 3 Duke 79-72

CLEMSON - What a wild ride the past four days have been for Clemson fans. The Tigers beat No. 3 Duke 79-72 on Tuesday night to sandwich wins over the Atlantic Coast Conference's basketball blue bloods around Monday's loss in the College Football …

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, left, hugs linebacker Isaiah Simmons after the Tigers lost to LSU 42-25 in the College Football Playoff national championship game on Monday in New Orleans. Clemson had its 29-game winning streak snapped.

Clemson D, Lawrence falter as LSU rolls to championship

NEW ORLEANS - Clemson relied all year on a strong defense and quarterback Trevor Lawrence to give itself a shot at a second straight national title. Both let them down against LSU and Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Joe Burrow. "It's been a …

LSU head coach Ed Orgeron, left, lifts the national championship trophy in front of his Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Joe Burrow after defeating Clemson 42-25 on Monday in New Orleans.

LSU proves it was better team of Tigers

The Clemson Tigers know exactly how the Louisiana State Tigers feel today. Clemson proved itself to be the best football team in the country in 2018 with a resounding 44-16 victory over Alabama in the College Football Playoff national …

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USC

South Carolina's Zia Cooke, center, shoots between Missouri's Amber Smith, left, and Elle Brown, right, during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020, in Columbia, Mo. South Carolina won the game 78-45.

South Carolina, Baylor lead women's Top 25

NEW YORK - South Carolina still sits atop The Associated Press women's basketball poll, with Baylor in second place. The Gamecocks received 22 first-place votes from a 30-member media panel Monday. The Lady Bears got six. UConn moved up to …

South Carolina's Aliyah Boston, (4) goes up for a shot against Missouri's Hannah Schuchts during the Gamecocks' 78-45 win on Thursday in Columbia, Missouri.

Top-ranked South Carolina dominates Missouri 78-45

COLUMBIA, Mo. - South Carolina earned its No. 1 ranking with a style coach Dawn Staley described as "fast and fluid." The Gamecocks showed they could overwhelm an opponent with their size in a half-court game on Thursday, beating Missouri …

South Carolina guard Jermaine Couisnard (5) drives to the basket against Kentucky forward Nick Richards (4) during the Gamecocks' 81-78 win on Wednesday in Columbia.

Couisnard, South Carolina stun No. 10 Kentucky 81-78

COLUMBIA - Freshman Jermaine Couisnard made the most of his first college start. His success against No. 10 Kentucky could mean bigger things ahead for South Carolina. Couisnard had a career-high 26 points, including the game-winning 3-pointer as …

South Carolina guard Zia Cooke plays against Vanderbilt in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Jan. 12, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn.

USC women continues to put in work as top-ranked team

COLUMBIA - South Carolina point guard Tyasha Harris didn't do a much celebrating when the Gamecocks ascended to the top of the rankings this week. She understands how tenuous it can be trying to hold onto the top. "It feels good, but we're going …

South Carolina forward Mikiah Herbert Harrigan (21) reaches for a rebound against Vanderbilt during the Gamecocks' 93-75 win on Sunday, which helped USC earn the top spot in the latest AP Poll.

South Carolina new No. 1 in women's Top 25 after 1-2-3 lose

NEW YORK - South Carolina moved up three spots to No. 1 in The Associated Press women's college basketball poll after the top three teams from the previous week all lost. It was a rough week for ranked teams, with 11 of them losing at least one …

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Outdoors

This GIS hillshade layer shows Carolina bays in the Sumter area. Cain Savannah Creek runs west to east, and the Twin Lakes neighborhood is near the center of the picture.

A mystery unsolved

There are hundreds of thousands. Maybe a million or more. They are scattered along the southeastern coastal plain. In some areas, they are so dense that almost all the ground is covered by them. Some even overlap others. They are one of the most …

Deadly brain disease found or suspected in Mississippi deer

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A deadly brain disease has been found in or is suspected in 40 Mississippi deer, and the state is asking hunters to continue providing samples through the deer season. "Deer harvest begins to tail off this time of the …

Microwaving sewage waste may make it safe to use as fertilizer on crops

My team has discovered another use for microwave ovens that will surprise you. Biosolids - primarily dead bacteria - from sewage plants are usually dumped into landfills. However, they are rich in nutrients and can potentially be used as …

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Extras
Columbia's Pridgeon continues his professional win streak

Sitting backwards on a chair, one arm stretched out in front of him, Jaylon Pridgeon watches his trainer wind gauze around his hand. Next comes the tape, between the fingers and then around the wrist …

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