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Kizer helps Fever rally to beat Stars 75-68

By WTOP Staff

RAUL DOMINGUEZ
Associated Press

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Indiana knew the San Antonio Stars were already weary, so the Fever did everything they could to further wear down a team playing the second night of a back-to-back.

Reserve forward Lynetta Kizer scored 16 points and Indiana’s bench dominated the fourth quarter in rallying for a 75-68 victory over San Antonio on Saturday night.

After falling 88-78 at Minnesota on Friday night, the Stars did not arrive in San Antonio until 2 p.m. Saturday for a 7 p.m. tipoff. San Antonio coach refused to comment on the schedule, but Indiana was clearly aware of its opponents’ fatigue.

“We got a lot of help from our bench,” Fever coach Lin Dunn said. “We wanted to try to stay as fresh as we could against them since they were on a back-to-back and keep the tempo up, keep pushing the ball. I thought it paid off for us the last five minutes. I thought our fresh people our bench was able to score and defend at a high level and then I thought it bothered them that we were a little fresher than they were.”

Indiana’s bench scored all but two of its 24 points in the fourth quarter, with Shavonte Zellous’ 18-foot jumper with 1:18 remaining the lone goal by a starter.

Zellous added 14 points and reserve forward Natasha Howard had 11 for Indiana (12-13), which tied Washington for second place in the Eastern Conference.

With All-Stars Tamika Catchings and Briann January combining to shoot 0 for 14, the Fever’s bench outscored the Stars’ reserves 45-14.

“That’s something we want to stay focused on,” Kizer said. “Coach said that we’re only going to go as far as the bench takes us, and that’s something that we want to keep doing. Just keep working hard and having faith in each other.”

Becky Hammon scored 18 points and Danielle Robinson added 15 for San Antonio (12-14), which dropped to 5-7 at home.

In her first home game since announcing she will retire after this season, Hammon showed flashes of former All-Star form. She drove and double-pumped at her hip, spinning the ball off the glass for a layup that pulled the Stars within 55-52 with 8 minutes remaining. She later drained a 3-pointer and drove in for a layup that pulled San Antonio within 74-68 in the final minute, but it wasn’t enough against an Indiana team that had not played since Tuesday.

“Well, we got to spend like 30 minutes at home, to get a shower in and stuff like that,” Stars forward Sophia Malcolm-Young said. “We knew our season was going to be like that. Everybody’s going through it, so we can’t really use it as an excuse.”

The Fever dominated the paint in the fourth quarter, with Howard and Kizer forcing their way inside for short jumpers and layups. The duo combined for 16 points in the quarter.

“I try to find open space and just the run floor and get rebounds and play good defense,” Howard said. “That’s my role and that’s what I did tonight.”

Indiana’s dominance came after San Antonio had their way inside early.

Danielle Adams bullied past Tamika Catchings for back-to-back baskets, including a follow of her own miss to give the Stars a 24-16 lead.

“I’d say about the first four or five minutes, I’m not sure that we realized that the game had actually started,” Dunn said. “We were a little lethargic, and they were very aggressive.”

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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