Edwards scores 27, South Carolina cruises to win over Southern in women's NCAA Tournament 1st round

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Joyce Edwards had 27 points and eight rebounds and No. 1 seed South Carolina won its 17th straight homewomen's NCAA Tournament gamewith a 103-34 defeat of 16th-seeded Southern on Saturday.

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Edwards and the Gamecocks (32-3) opened with a 15-0 burst and never let up against the Jaguars (20-14), the Southwestern Athletic Conference champions.

"I just thought they got out-talented tonight," South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said of her opponent.

And there was plenty of talent on display for a program seeking its sixth straight Final Four.

Edwards was relentless down low, making 11 of 14 shots and being seemingly free on most possessions. In the second half, she and teammate Ta'Niya Latson forced a turnover near midcourt and after Latson gained control, she flipped the ball behind her back to an all-alone Edwards for an easy bucket as the home crowded roared.

"We missed being here. We hadn't been here in a while," said Staley, whose team improved to 83-1 at Colonial Life Arena the past five seasons. "I want our players to play with joy."

South Carolina, already up 25 at the break, outscored Southern 32-2 in the third quarter.

Edwards said the team needed to get its timing after not playing since the Southeastern Conference Tournament two weeks ago.

"You could tell we were a little rusty initially," she said. "As a team, we got together and started hitting shots."

The Gamecocks ended with their second-most points in an NCAA Tournament game (after scoring 108 last year to open against Tennessee Tech) and put up their biggest margin of victory in their NCAA tourney history.

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Edwards started the game-opening run with two baskets. Latson added five points in the opening run as Southern started 0-for-7 shooting with six turnovers.

Latson finished with 17 points while Madina Okot and Agot Makeer had 15 points each. Tessa Johnson had 14 points and a career-high 10 rebounds.

Southern had won its second NCAA Tournament game in the First Four, defeating Samford 65-53. The Jaguars beat UC San Diego in that round last year before getting drubbed by Final Four team UCLA 84-46.

This time, the Jaguars ran into a South Carolina team anxious to get the tournament started after a disappointing defeat by Texas, 78-61, in the Southeastern Conference Tournament title game on March 8.

Jocelyn Tate had 10 points to lead Southern.

Southern coach Carlos Funchess understood the huge task his team faced. "They're preparing to win win a national championship," he said of the Gamecocks. "I'd do the same."

Parting gift

Southern left with a small gift from Staley, a sample bottle of her Louis Vuitton perfume. Staley spoke to the team Wednesday at their hotel and when they hugged and thanked her, more than one player commented on how nice the coach smelled. So that led Staley to arrange to have some samples sent to the Jaguars.

"It was just a small gesture. I had them, I probably wouldn't use them, they could utilize them and I just did it," Staley said.

Up next

South Carolina will play either No. 8 seed Clemson or No. 9 seed Southern California in the second round on Monday.

AP March Madness bracket:https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracketand coverage:https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

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March 21, 2026

Edwards scores 27, South Carolina cruises to win over Southern in women's NCAA Tournament 1st round

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Joyce Edwards had 27 points and eight rebounds and No. 1 seed South Carolina won its 17th straight ...

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North Carolina decision on coach Hubert Davis' future is reportedly coming next week

North Carolina is picking up the pieces after a heartbreakingMarch Madnessloss to VCU. The Tar Heelsblew a 19-point lead, allowing the sixth-largest comeback in NCAA tournament history, including the largest the first round has ever seen.

They've now bowed out of the tournament's Round of 64 in back-to-back years, andquestions are swirling about the job security of head coach Hubert Davis.

Those won't be answered until early next week, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.

"The future of Hubert Davis at North Carolina right now is squarely in flux in the wake of these back-to-back, first-round NCAA tournament exits,"Thamel reported on Saturday. "The sides are expected to talk in the upcoming days, and no decision on Davis' future is expected until early next week.

"Do not expect Davis to be fired outright. Any kind of departure would be synchronized, likely between he and the school. Hubert Davis is a legend at North Carolina and will be treated with that type of respect."

Thamel added: "The options here are simple: Keep Davis with significant changes to the staff and program or orchestrate some type of wholesale change to the coaching staff and bring in a whole new regime."

In other words, even if Davis stays, staff changes are expected.

Outgoing UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham, who will be replaced by Steve Newmark when Cunningham steps down from his role this summer,reportedly told Field of 68's Jeff Goodmanthat he and other administrators are in the process of evaluating the men's basketball program.

"Every year at the end of the season, it's important to evaluate all facets of the program and look for ways to improve," Cunningham said, per Goodman. "The Chancellor, Steve and I are doing that together now and will continue to have discussions over the coming days."

UNC has historically hired within Tar Heels family

Davis has led the UNC program since April 2021,when he took over for Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams, who guided the Tar Heels to three national championships and five Final Fours over an 18-season tenure.

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In hiring Davis as Williams' replacement, the school stayed within the Carolina basketball family. Davis played under program legend Dean Smith, another Hall of Fame coach, at UNC from 1988-92 and worked under Williams as an assistant coach from 2012-21.

Davis took the baton and ran with it initially, especially down the stretch of his first season at the helm. The Tar Heels took down rival Duke twice: first in the regular-season finale, spoiling the final home game for retiring Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski,and then again in the Final Four.

Although UNC fell to Kansas in the national title game, its journey back to that stage inspired confidence in Davis.

Tournament struggles under Davis

Since, however, the Tar Heels have won just two NCAA tournament games, and both of those victories came in 2024, when they were a No. 1 seed after winning the ACC regular-season crown. That year, they lost in the Sweet 16 to Alabama.

Following UNC's national runner-up finish in 2022, it began the 2022-23 season as the No. 1 team in the AP preseason poll but went on to miss out on the NCAA tournament entirely.

This season, the Tar Heels beat Duke in the first of the teams' two meetings. But their leading scorer and rebounder, top NBA Draft prospect Caleb Wilson, eventually suffered two injuries,the second of which was a thumb injury that the freshman forward picked up in practice and that required season-ending surgery.

UNC missed Wilson sorely when VCU was mounting its first-round comeback on Thursday. And now Davis' future, as Thamel reported, is "squarely in flux."

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March 21, 2026

North Carolina decision on coach Hubert Davis' future is reportedly coming next week

North Carolina is picking up the pieces after a heartbreakingMarch Madnessloss to VCU. The Tar Heelsblew a 19-point lead,...

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Seahawks exercise 5th-year options on WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, CB Devon Witherspoon

The Seattle Seahawks exercised the fifth-year options of star receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and standout cornerback Devon Witherspoon.

Both players were first-round picks in 2023. Using the option keeps both players under contract through the 2027 season.

Smith-Njigba is slated to receive $23.9 million in 2027, while Witherspoon is expected to earn $21.2 million.

The move doesn't prevent the Super Bowl champions from signing either player to a long-term extension.

Smith-Njigba recently said he expects to be the highest-paid player at his position. Cincinnati Bengals star Ja'Marr Chase currently holds that distinction with a $40.25 million annual average per his four-year, $161 million deal.

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Smith-Njigba was the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2025 when he set franchise records of 119 receptions and 1,793 receiving yards. He also caught 10 scoring passes.

Smith-Njigba, who turned 24 last month, has 282 receptions for 3,551 yards and 20 touchdown catches in 51 NFL games (36 starts). The 20th overall pick in 2023 out of Ohio State is a two-time Pro Bowl selection.

Witherspoon, 25, was the fifth overall pick from Illinois in 2023 and has made the Pro Bowl in all three of his seasons. He has 249 tackles, 4.5 sacks and two interceptions in 43 games (42 starts) for Seattle.

Witherspoon returned an interception 97 yards for a touchdown against the New York Giants during his 2023 rookie campaign.

--Field Level Media

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March 21, 2026

Seahawks exercise 5th-year options on WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, CB Devon Witherspoon

The Seattle Seahawks exercised the fifth-year options of star receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and standout cornerback Devo...

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Steven Spielberg Reflects on Decades-Long Friendship with Drew Barrymore Since “E.T., ”Jokes 'I Kind of Adopted' Her

Steven Spielberg has maintained a close relationship with Drew Barrymore since she starred in E.T in 1982

NEED TO KNOW

• He joked that he "kind of adopted" the actress, who is his goddaughter

• "I remember after making E.T., there was something about that, for me, I didn't want those kids to go home," the director said at SXSW's The Big Picture keynote on Friday, March 13

Steven Spielberghas been the driving force behind some of the biggest films. Now, he's reflecting on how his work has influenced his personal life.

During the Keynote: The Big Picture with Steven Spielberg event at the Hilton Austin Downtown Grand Ballroom on Friday, March 13, the acclaimed director told the SXSW crowd about howE.T.specifically brought him a major revelation.

"E.T.made me want to have kids," said Spielberg, 79. "And I remember after makingE.T., there was something about that, for me, I didn't want those kids to go home."

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"Drew Barrymorenever really went home," he joked. "I kind of adopted Drew, and helped co-parent her... right up until last week, when we were on a text together, you know? I'm still very much connected to Drew's life.  But I love those kids."

Barrymore, 51, famously launched her career after playing the younger sister, Gertie Taylor, in the 1982 film. Gertie, along with her brothers Elliott (Henry Thomas) and Michael (Robert MacNaughton), move the adorable alien E.T. into their family home — and do their best to protect the creature from the government that's hunting him.

While attending theTCM Classic Film Festival at 92NYin New York City on Jan. 25, Spielberg spoke about Barrymore improvising during filming. "The camera was rolling and Drew said, 'I don't like his feet.' We used it," he recalled, adding, "Drew made up a lot of her own dialogue because she was irrepressible."

Spielberg also spoke about parenting during his appearance at the N.Y.C. festival. "I didn't want to have kids because it was not a kind of equation that made sense for me as I was going from movie to movie to movie, script to script," he said.

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"And I started thinking, 'Well, maybe this could be my real life someday.' It was the first time that it occurred to me that maybe I could be a dad," he added. "And maybe in a way, a director is a dad, or a mom."

Based on the movie's success, Barrymore became the youngest person to guest-hostSaturday Night Liveat just 7 years old. She maintained a close relationship with Spielberg over the years, as he was her godfather.

During her turbulent period as a teenager and in her early twenties, she posed for the 1995 cover ofPlayboyaround her 20th birthday. After Spielberg saw the cover, he sent her a quilt with a message that said: "Cover up!"

She recounted the story onThe Drew Barrymore Showfor her 46th birthday in 2021. She told her guest,Savannah Guthrie, that he was "the first person I knew cared," and Spielberg then made a surprise appearance.

"Oh, Drewface, I still care about you," Spielberg told her. "I've always cared about you ever since the first time this little blonde hurricane walked into an audition in my office and took us by storm, and then took the entire world by storm. That was you then, and that is you today."

"I always thought every time I was doing something good or right, I would always think about how you would think or feel about it because I loved making you proud. I lived to make you proud," she emotionally replied.

Barrymore also honoredE.T.for the film's 40th anniversary in 2022 by bringing her former costars Thomas, 54, MacNaughton, 59, andDee Wallaceonto her talk show for a sweet reunion. "I believed E.T. was real," she told them.

"I really loved [E.T.] in such a profound way,"Barrymoreadded. "I would go and take lunch to him."

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Steven Spielberg Reflects on Decades-Long Friendship with Drew Barrymore Since “E.T., ”Jokes 'I Kind of Adopted' Her

Steven Spielberg has maintained a close relationship with Drew Barrymore since she starred in E.T in 1982 NEED ...

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Elijah Wood Reveals Why Fans Confuse Him with Daniel Radcliffe

Plenty of celebrities have a famous doppelgänger—andElijah Woodis no exception.

Through the years,TheLord of the Ringsactor, 45, has admittedly been confused for fellow actorDaniel Radcliffeand while it may bother some stars to be incorrectly identified, the pair have never been fazed by the comparisons. In fact, they've each had a little bit of fun with the mix ups.

During an appearance onThe Drew Barrymore ShowonFriday(March 20), Wood was shown a clip of Radcliffe admitting that he had signed autographs that were meant for the other actor.

Thankfully, Wood found the whole thing "so funny," adding that people come up to him thinking he's Radcliffe "all the time."

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As for why Wood thinks that people confuse him for Radcliffe, he explained that it goes beyond their similar facial features. Instead, Wood says he has theorized that people mix them up because their franchises,Harry PotterandThe Lord of the Rings, were box office hits around the same time.

"I think it's because those two film franchises came out around the same time," Wood shared.

Radcliffe has also reflected on the confusion, admitting that he felt bad about it at times considering the comparisons began when he was just a preteen and Wood was in his 20s.

"I really like him and felt so bad that we have been mixed up so much because also I was getting it when, at the start ofPotterwhenLord of the Ringswas coming out, he was, you know, a man in his 20s. I was 12 or 13," Radcliffetold CBR. "A 13 year old doesn't mind getting mistaken for a man in his 20s. I can only imagine it would have been very annoying for a 20 year old to be mistaken for a child."

He continued, "He's very, very gracious and always, you know, I feel like we've got very similar outlooks on our careers and that we just do what we like. He's a very nice person to get mistaken for as well. He's got a lovely reputation and he's done lovely, great films."

This story was originally published byParadeon Mar 21, 2026, where it first appeared in theNewssection. Add Parade as aPreferred Source by clicking here.

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March 21, 2026

Elijah Wood Reveals Why Fans Confuse Him with Daniel Radcliffe

Plenty of celebrities have a famous doppelgänger—andElijah Woodis no exception. Through the years,TheLord of t...

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Emma Heming Willis Celebrates 17th Wedding Anniversary with Husband Bruce, Says 'I Was Made to Love Him'

Bruce Willis and Emma Heming Willis celebrated their 17th wedding anniversary on March 21

NEED TO KNOW

• Emma marked the occasion with a sentimental Instagram post, sharing a photo from when the couple tied the knot in Turks and Caicos in 2009

• "I was made to love him," Emma wrote in a social media tribute to her actor husband

Bruce WillisandEmma Heming Willisare celebrating 17 years of marriage.

Emma, 49, marked the occasion with a sentimentalInstagram poston Saturday, March 21.

Sharing a photo from when the coupletied the knot in Turks and Caicosin 2009, she wrote in her caption, "I was made to love him."

"17 years," Emma continued, adding an emoji of a ring and a white heart.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Emma and Bruce, 71, first met in 2007, and they wed two years later. The couple sharestwo childrentogether: daughterMabel Ray, born in April 2012, and daughterEvelyn Penn, born in May 2014.

Bruce is also a dad to three other daughters —Rumer Willis,Scout WillisandTallulah Willis— whom he shares with ex-wifeDemi Moore.

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Bruceretired from actingin 2022, after he wasdiagnosed with aphasiathat has sinceprogressed to frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

Emma has been candid about her role as a caregiver since. She opened up about navigating the transition in aPEOPLE cover storylast year, stating, "Early on, I was very isolated, and it felt like what was happening was only happening to us. Over time, I realized it would be beneficial to talk about it and raise awareness so people get to the doctor sooner, can be diagnosed sooner, get into clinical trials."

Earlier this week,Emma marked Bruce's 71st birthdayby posting a photo of theDie Hardstar sitting by the water. "Today we celebrate Bruce's birthday. 💙" Emma began her Instagram post's caption.

The activist then used the occasion to help raise money for her newly announced charity,The Emma & Bruce Willis Fund. "This journey with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) has opened my eyes to the realities so many families face," Emma wrote. "It's what inspired me to create The Emma & Bruce Willis Fund to raise awareness of FTD, support research, and stand beside the caregivers who carry so much every day."

She also encouraged her husband's fans to show their support on his birthday through philanthropy.

"If you'd like to honor Bruce today, please consider supporting the fund or another organization working in this space, or simply checking in on a caregiver — a small act of kindness that can mean so much. 💙" Emma said.

Read the original article onPeople

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Emma Heming Willis Celebrates 17th Wedding Anniversary with Husband Bruce, Says 'I Was Made to Love Him'

Bruce Willis and Emma Heming Willis celebrated their 17th wedding anniversary on March 21 NEED TO KNOW Emma ma...

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2 skiers killed, 5 hurt in northern Italy avalanche

Two skiers died and five others were injured on Saturday when an avalanche rumbled down on them in the Italian Alps, in the Trentino-Alto Adige region, the mountain rescue service said.

The service's operation centre received an alert around midday that a dozen skiers were caught up in the avalanche, a spokesman said.

"Six helicopters were dispatched," and nearby hospitals were notified, he said.

The avalanche happened at an altitude of around 7,874 feet on the slopes of the 8,757-foot Hohe Ferse near the town of Ratschings, close to the border with Austria, the Associated Press reported.

Dozens of rescue personnel, as well as firemen and law enforcement, participate in the search-and-rescue effort.

A total of 25 skiers were on the mountainside where the avalanche occurred, but most had escaped the brunt of the slide of snow, rocks and ice.

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A few days ago, in the same region, a Polish man was killed by an avalanche.

The avalanche warning given for the region on Saturday evaluated the danger as between low and moderate.

Europe has been hit by a string of avalanches this winter. Last month, at leastfive people, including an American, were killed in a string of avalanches in western Austria. Threeavalanchesacross Austria killed eight skiers in Jan., authorities said. Six skiersdiedin France after being caught in avalanches in various Alpine resorts.

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March 21, 2026

2 skiers killed, 5 hurt in northern Italy avalanche

Two skiers died and five others were injured on Saturday when an avalanche rumbled down on them in the Italian Alps, i...

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