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A woman in South Carolina is celebrating a huge win after nearly scoring an even bigger jackpot in a recent lottery drawing.
According to a release from the South Carolina Education Lottery, an Upstate woman scored $30,000 during the July 26 Mega Millions drawing, her lucky ticket falling just one number short of winning the $830 Million jackpot. Her ticket matched four of the first five numbers drawn (7-29-60-63-66) as well as the gold Megaball (15), beating the 1 in 931,001 odds.
"I don't play often, and I never expected to win," she said. "This is great."
The lucky player, whose name wasn't announced in the release, purchased her winning ticket at the Power Trac #3 on Long Creek Highway in Westminster. In addition to the winner, the convenience store also received a $300 commission for selling the winning ticket now that the prize has been claimed.
"It was breathtaking," the winner said, adding that she was only slightly disappointed she didn't take home the entire jackpot. "But there was a moment of 'Dang, I was so close.'"
Since the July 26 drawing, the Mega Millions jackpot has been claimed and has dropped back down. The jackpot for the Friday (September 16) drawing sits at $256 million.