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Pondexter lifts Liberty to 77-75 win over Atlanta

By WTOP Staff

DOUG FEINBERG
AP Basketball Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Cappie Pondexter loves having the ball in her hands with the game on line.

Pondexter banked in a jumper from the foul line with four-tenths of a second left to lift the New York Liberty to a 77-75 win over the Atlanta Dream on Wednesday.

“I always want it at the end,” she said. “It’s always been like that since I first came into the league.”

Pondexter had been struggling with her shot, missing 12 of her first 14 on Wednesday, including one with about 30 seconds left that would have given New York the lead.

She was happy to get another chance and this time she wouldn’t miss.

Pondexter took a handoff from Plenette Pierson at the top of the key and banked in the winning shot. Atlanta couldn’t get a shot off at the other end. Tina Charles had 18 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Liberty.

The win snapped a two-game losing streak for New York (8-13) and moved the Liberty closer to the final playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.

“It was vital,” Pondexter said. “We had dropped the last two, we were on a great run and then took two steps back and changed our momentum. If it was five weeks ago we probably wouldn’t have won the game. It shows the maturity we’ve gained over the last month.”

While New York is in the mix for the final Eastern Conference spot, Atlanta (15-6) is sitting 5 1/2 games in front in the East. The Dream have never finished first in the conference.

New York held a 10-point lead heading into the fourth before the Dream scored the first 10 points of the final period to tie it at 65 with 5:54 left.

The teams traded baskets until Jasmine Thomas’ 3-pointer tied it at 75 with 1:03 left. Neither team could score until Pondexter’s winner.

“We need to play better for 40 minutes,” said Angel McCoughtry, who led Atlanta with 20 points. “It’s a good sign that we battled back and didn’t roll over, but we need to be more consistent.”

The Liberty led 52-49 midway through the third quarter before Rodgers and Charles scored nine straight to give New York some breathing room. Sugar Rodgers started the burst with a 3-pointer before Charles, who was announced as an All-Star reserve on Tuesday, scored the next six points and New York led 65-55 at the end of the third quarter.

It was a back and forth first half that had 15 lead changes before New York closed the second quarter with an 8-2 run to take a 45-40 lead at the break.

The Dream announced before the game that recently acquired forward Delisha Milton-Jones will miss the rest of the season after rupturing her right Achilles tendon Sunday against Chicago.

“I heard it pop right away and knew my season was over,” said Milton-Jones, who was traded from New York on July 9.

McCoughtry and Shoni Schimmel will head to Phoenix for the All-Star game on Saturday. The league announced on Tuesday that Schimmel’s jersey is the top seller in the WNBA and the Dream are No. 1 in merchandise sales.

“It’s really humbling to know that my jersey is the top seller,” Schimmel said.

___

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Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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