South Carolina women's basketball will face Southern Cal in the second round of the Women's NCAA Tournament on March 23. The game is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET and will be televised on ESPN, according to the program's announcement. The No. 1 seed Gamecocks, led by head coach Dawn Staley, defeated the No. 16 seed Southern 103-34 in their first-round matchup on March 21. The No. 9 Trojans, who advanced after a 71-67 overtime victory over No. 8 Clemson, will now face South Carolina in the Sacramento 4 Regional. A win on March 23 would position the Gamecocks to compete for the Sweet 16, Elite Eight, and ultimately a spot in the Final Four in Phoenix. The matchup marks the second meeting between the teams this season, following a November 15 game where South Carolina prevailed 69-52. JuJu Watkins, the No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2024 from Los Angeles, had narrowed her college choice to Southern Cal and South Carolina before ultimately selecting the latter. In her first two seasons, Watkins emerged as one of the nation’s top scorers, averaging 27.1 points as a freshman and 23.9 as a sophomore. However, her season was interrupted by a significant injury—she tore her ACL in a second-round March Madness game exactly one year prior. Despite being in Columbia with her team, Watkins will not play in the upcoming matchup. The injury occurred shortly before Southern Cal and South Carolina announced a bicoastal series of games for 2025 and 2026, titled “The Real SC.” The first game in the series took place in Los Angeles in November, and the second is set for November 15, 2026, at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville. This scheduling highlights the growing rivalry between the two programs, even as they remain on opposite sides of the bracket in the current tournament.#dawn_staley #bon_secours_wellness_arena #south_carolina_womens_basketball #southern_cal #juju_watkins
Duke vs. TCU odds, March Madness predictions: 2026 NCAA Tournament picks from proven model The ninth-seeded Texas Christian Horned Frogs will face the top-seeded Duke Blue Devils in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament East Region on Saturday. TCU secured its spot with a 66-64 victory over eighth-seeded Ohio State on Thursday, while Duke advanced after a 71-65 win against 16th-seeded Siena. The Horned Frogs, who finished sixth in the Big 12 with a 11-7 record, have won seven of their last eight games. Duke, the ACC regular season champion with a 17-1 record, has now won 12 consecutive games. Duke is missing starting forward Caleb Foster due to a foot injury, and center Patrick Ngongba is listed as questionable. The game will take place at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina, with a tipoff time of 5:15 p.m. ET. Duke is currently listed as an 11.5-point favorite in the latest odds, while the total points scored are projected to be 140.5. SportsLine’s Projection Model, which has a strong track record of accurate college basketball predictions, has simulated the matchup 10,000 times and released its findings. The model’s analysis suggests the Over on the total points is the most likely outcome, as the Over has hit in two of the last three TCU games and six of the last 10 Duke games. TCU is 8-2 against the spread in its last 10 contests, while Duke is 6-4 ATS in the same span. The model projects TCU to have two players scoring 11 or more points, with David Punch expected to contribute 11.9 points. Duke is projected to have three players scoring 11.4 points or more, led by Cameron Boozer, who is predicted to score 25 points. The model’s total combined score for the game is 148 points.#duke_blue_devils #tcu_horned_frogs #sportsline #bon_secours_wellness_arena #greenville_south_carolina
UNC Opens NCAA Tournament Without Caleb Wilson vs. Surging VCU North Carolina will face a challenge in the opening weekend of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, as the Tar Heels will play without star freshman Caleb Wilson. The No. 6 seed UNC (24-8) will take on No. 11 seed VCU (27-7) at 6:50 p.m. ET Thursday at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. The South Region game will be broadcast on TNT. Wilson, an All-ACC first-team selection, is out for the season after breaking his right thumb. The injury occurred while he was recovering from a previous left hand fracture. His last game was on Feb. 20, and UNC is 5-3 in eight games without him. Coach Hubert Davis expressed disappointment over the injury, stating, “Our team will move forward,” after the regular-season finale against Duke on March 7. Davis also highlighted the emotional impact of the injury, noting, “There’s tremendous sadness for him. He’s a special player and teammate, and his passion for the team and the program is unmatched. It was a dream for him to play in the ACC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament, and my heart is broken he won’t be able to do that.” The winner of the UNC-VCU matchup will face the winner of the Illinois-Penn game on Saturday in Greenville. The South Region includes other notable teams such as No. 1 seed Florida, No. 2 seed Houston, No. 4 seed Nebraska, No. 5 seed Vanderbilt, No. 7 seed Saint Mary’s, No. 8 seed Clemson, No. 9 seed Iowa, No. 10 seed Texas A&M, No. 12 seed McNeese, No. 13 seed Troy, No. 15 seed Idaho, and two No. 16 seeds, Lehigh and Prairie View A&M. UNC enters the tournament on a two-game losing streak, having fallen to Duke in the regular-season finale and lost 80-79 to Clemson in the ACC quarterfinals. Meanwhile, VCU has dominated its recent schedule, winning 16 of its last 17 games.#bon_secours_wellness_arena #vcu #unc #caleb_wilson #keith_gill
Lil Wayne bringing 2026 tour to Bon Secours in Greenville Five-time Grammy Award-winning rapper Lil Wayne has confirmed a stop on his “Lil Wayne - 20+ Years of Carter Classics” tour in downtown Greenville, South Carolina. The event will take place at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on September 24, with a scheduled start time of 7 p.m. The performance will feature a special guest appearance by 2 Chainz. Tickets for the concert will be available for purchase beginning on March 20, with sales opening at 10 a.m. The announcement marks another significant milestone in Lil Wayne’s career, celebrating over two decades of his music legacy. The tour, which highlights his extensive discography, is expected to draw large crowds from across the region. The Bon Secours Wellness Arena, a major venue in Greenville, has previously hosted high-profile musical acts, making it a fitting location for the rapper’s return to the area. Fans are encouraged to secure their tickets early, as events of this scale often sell out quickly. The concert is part of a broader tour that will span multiple cities, further solidifying Lil Wayne’s presence in the music industry. This announcement comes as part of a growing list of entertainment events scheduled for Greenville, reflecting the city’s increasing status as a cultural and entertainment hub. The concert is anticipated to contribute to local tourism and economic activity, aligning with efforts to promote the area as a destination for live music and cultural experiences.#south_carolina #bon_secours_wellness_arena #lil_wayne #two_chainz #greenville
SEC Women's Basketball Tournament Finals: South Carolina vs. Texas in 2026 Showdown The 2026 SEC Women's Basketball Tournament concludes with a high-stakes matchup between No. 1 seed South Carolina and No. 3 seed Texas. The Gamecocks, led by their undefeated regular-season record, face off against the Longhorns, who entered the tournament as last year’s runners-up. South Carolina’s victory over LSU earlier in the season solidified their position, while Texas’ win against Ole Miss secured their place in the championship. The rivalry, marked by a dramatic 20-point loss to South Carolina in the 2025 final, adds tension to the contest. The final game will take place on Sunday, March 8, at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. The matchup between the top-ranked Gamecocks and third-seeded Longhorns begins at 3 p.m. EST. ESPN will broadcast the championship game live, with streaming options available through the network. Fans can tune in for a rematch of teams that split their regular-season meetings, with South Carolina claiming the last encounter on January 15 and Texas securing an earlier win on November 27. The historical rivalry between the two programs highlights the stakes. South Carolina holds a 6-4 series edge overall, with a 2-0 record in Columbia and a 3-2 advantage at neutral sites. Texas, however, has dominated games played in Austin, winning both matchups. The Longhorns’ last victory over South Carolina came on November 27, 2025, with a score of 66-64, while the Gamecocks’ most recent win was on January 15, 2026, by a margin of 68-65. The final showdown promises to be a defining moment for both teams, with the SEC title on the line.#south_carolina #texas #sec_womens_basketball_tournament #bon_secours_wellness_arena #espn
