RALEIGH, N.C. — Watching the luck running out for his Clemson Tigers football team inspired Jacob Strickland of Asheboro to try his own luck playing Powerball, resulting in a $150,000 prize.
"We were watching football with some friends and Clemson was getting beat terribly by Notre Dame," Strickland said. "We were joking we should get lottery tickets because our luck couldn't get any worse."
Strickland, a 29-year-old welder, purchased a Quick Pick ticket for the November 5 drawing using Online Play on his phone.
"It really was a last-minute thing right before the drawing," he said.
Strickland's luck prevailed as he matched numbers on four white balls and the Powerball to win $50,000 on his $3 Power Play ticket. The prize tripled to $150,000 when the 3X Power Play multiplier hit.
He called his mom to tell her he won and sent a screenshot of his win to his friends who he watched the game with.
"They all thought I was lying," Stickland said.
He claimed his prize Tuesday and took home $106,516. He said he plans to invest some of the money and put the rest in his savings.
Powerball is one of four lottery games in North Carolina where players have the option of buying their tickets at a retail location or with Online Play through the lottery's website or with the NC Lottery Official Mobile App.
Ticket sales from lottery games make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $2.5 million a day on average for education.