Players across North Carolina win more than $25 million

The excitement of winning big in March is officially underway this week – and not just on the hardwood. North Carolina lottery players won more than $25 million on lottery tickets.

Pick 3 players were treated to more than $1.7 million in prizes on St. Patrick's Day when the triple combination of 3-3-3 appeared in the afternoon drawing. Players of the game this week won more than $4.1 million.

Johnny Daughtry of Ahoskie was back in the Big Winner’s Room for the second time in three months on Friday, claiming a $1 million win in the $200 Million Blowout game. In December, Daughtry won the top prize in the $500 a Week for Life! game.

A service technician from Guilford County won the top prize playing the $200,000 Gold Rush game. Nancy Renea of Pleasant Garden said she won’t believe it’s real until she sees “all those zeroes” in her bank account.

Tim Murphy of Graham always buys two sets of numbers for the nightly Carolina Cash 5 drawing: One based on family birthdays and a Quick Pick. Wednesday night the birthday numbers won him the $175,673 jackpot.

A Cash 5 jackpot winner from Edgecombe County won $104,403 in the March 13 drawing. Alice Meeks of Princeville bought her Quick Pick ticket at the Neighbor's Food Mart on North Main Street in Tarboro.

Amory Bowden of Greensboro won the sixth and final $200,000 top prize on a Break the Bank ticket he purchased at the BP Mini Mart on Bessemer City Road in Gastonia.

Two Raleigh residents are sharing the $100,000 they won playing Millionaire 7's. Courtney Daye and Christopher Trice say they will use their prize money to pay bills and share with their families.

Debra and Jerry Rice of Hendersonville won $20,000 in the March 14 Powerball drawing. They bought their Power Play ticket at the Triangle Food Store on Chimney Rock Road in Hendersonville.

Nineteen more players won prizes of $10,000 to $50,000 this week. They are:

• Tzulieh Chuu of Cary: $50,000 (Jumbo Bucks)
• Richard McCubbins of Fayetteville: $10,000 (“$”)
  
• David Hicks of Greensboro: $20,000 (3/11 Powerball drawing)
  
• James Silver of Hollister: $10,000 (5X The Cash)
  
• Linda Sutton of LaGrange: $10,000 ($120 Million Cash)
  
• Thomas Vinson of Lawndale: $10,000 ($5,000 a Week for Life!)
  
• Shonna Bohner of Lexington: $10,000 ($4,000,000 Multiplier Spectacular)
  
• Christina Sippel of Lincolnton: $10,000    (100X The Cash)
  
• Elizabeth Lipsey of Morganton: $10,000 (100X The Cash)
  
• William Watters of Oakboro: $25,000 (3/13 Mega Millions drawing)
  
• Deborah Hatley of Pittsboro: $10,000 (Millionaire 7’s)
  
• Joe Hawley of Raleigh: $20,000 ($4,000 Multiplier Spectacular)
  
• Rhonda Warren of Raleigh: $10,000 ($2,5000 a Week for Life!)
  
• James Herbert of Raleigh: $10,000 ($200 Million Blowout)
  
• Stacy Carter of Reidsville: $10,000 ($200 Million Blowout)
  
• Hung Huynh of Shiloh: $10,000 ($1,000 a Week for Life!)
  
• Barbara Smith of Sparta: $10,000 (100X The Cash)
  
• Melvin Rigsby of Wilmington: $10,000 (100X The Cash)
  
• Richard Dennis of Winston-Salem: $10,000 (3/18 Powerball drawing)
  

From March 13 through March 19, instant players won $18.7 million and draw game players won $6.3 million, bringing the seven-day total to more than $25 million in prizes statewide, more than $3.5 million a day on average.

Hope you enjoy the first week of spring this weekend. See you soon here in the Lucke-Zone.