LAUREL, Md. – A woman from Laurel nearly claimed the record Powerball jackpot this week, missing by a single number but still taking home a $50,000 prize.

The player, who used the nickname “Finally!” when claiming her winnings Thursday at Maryland Lottery headquarters in Baltimore, said she doesn’t usually play Powerball. Instead, she sticks to Pick 3 and Pick 4. But when the jackpot climbed into the billions, she decided to try her luck, choosing numbers tied to family birthdays and ages.

After the Sept. 3 drawing, she checked her ticket and noticed just how closely her numbers lined up with the winning combination. She showed the ticket to her husband, who quickly confirmed her prize.

“He said, ‘You won!’” she recalled. She had matched four of the first five white balls plus the red P

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