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Griner helps Mercury beat Fever 79-69

By WTOP Staff

AL BRAVO
Associated Press

PHOENIX (AP) — The Phoenix Mercury bounced back from their first loss in six weeks with a big fourth quarter run.

Brittney Griner scored 17 points and the Mercury scored 14 straight points to pull away from the Fever in a 79-69 win on Saturday night.

“I don’t necessarily think we played that well, but at the end of the day we won the game so we’ll just move on and try to get some rest and keep going,” said Diana Taurasi. “I think today was one of those days where we were at our highest level but we figured it out toward the end.”

Taurasi added 15 points, five assists and three rebounds for the Mercury (23-4), who haven’t lost consecutive games all season.

Phoenix, which lost to Minnesota on Thursday night to end its 16-game winning streak, fell behind 63-61 with 7:09 left in the game before going on its big run. Indiana missed 11 shots in a row over a seven-minute stretch, including three layups and at least two wide-open looks.

“We battled for the entire 40 minutes, it just came down to making shots and we weren’t able to do that towards the end,” said Shavonte Zellous, who scored 14 points to lead the Fever (13-15).

Indiana rallied all night, outrebounding Phoenix 44-35, and holding Griner to two points in the second half.

“We had to respond. Coach definitely made a point of emphasis to rebound because they were getting a lot of second chance points,” Griner said. “When we started rebounding, it kind of turned us around. We started getting fast breaks and easy baskets. When we can do that, we’re hard to guard when we are out running.”

Tamika Catchings, who had been averaging 15.8 points in the 10 games she has played this season, was held to eight points on 0-of-10 shooting on Saturday.

“I shot terrible tonight and I wasn’t the only one on our team,” Catchings said. “This is the end of our long road trip. I think when you look at just how we match up, this is the best team in the league right now. To see we matched up and we lost in the last five minutes of the game.”

Briann January hit three 3-pointers and had 11 points for Indiana, which was 2-3 on its nine-day road trip.

“I thought we put ourselves in position to maybe steal a game here against the best team in the league,” Indiana coach Lin Dunn said. “We won the boards, we got to the free throw line 23 times, we got open looks but we just didn’t knock ’em down.”

Indiana shot just 24 percent from the field in the second half, missing 13 of 17 in the final period.

Phoenix won its 12th straight at home, setting a franchise mark. The Mercury are 18-2 in their last 20 games. They are 13-1 at home with three games left. No Mercury team had won more than 12 home games in a season.

“What I like is that they responded,” Phoenix coach Sandy Brondello said. “We know that wasn’t our best game, we played lackluster for such a long time. But we could change it. Sometimes that isn’t always easy but we changed it through the course of the game and it was not just one person. It was everyone collectively picking up their intensity.”

Griner had 15 points to lead Phoenix to a 47-42 lead at the break. Zellous had 11 points and two assists for Indiana. The Fever had seven turnovers in the first half, leading to nine Phoenix points.

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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