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Carmelo Anthony leads Knicks over Hornets 96-93

By WTOP Staff

ADRY TORRES
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Before forcing his way to New York, Carmelo Anthony recalled how he marveled at the numbers that Denver Nuggets teammate Allen Iverson had posted in his career.

On Sunday night, Anthony joined his former teammate, becoming the sixth youngest to join the NBA’s 20,000 point club, with a 28-point performance. Anthony also hit the go-ahead basket with 1:23 remaining, leading the New York Knicks to a 96-63 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.

“I never thought I would be here actually talking about me reaching that milestone,” Anthony said. “I’m definitely humbled by this experience. I (guess I) got more to go.”

Anthony, a seven-time All-Star, who started off the night with 19,997 points, notched his 19,999th point after hitting a basket in the opening seconds of the game. With 7:42 remaining in the opening quarter, point guard Shane Larkin found an open Anthony on the wing for a 3-pointer, becoming the 40th player in league history to score over 20,000 points in their careers.

Al Jefferson had 21 points and Gary Neal added 17 points off the bench for the Hornets (1-2), who lost their second straight.

Charlotte’s guard Michael Kidd-Gilchrist fell awkwardly late in the first quarter and did not return to the game. According to the team’s spokesman, Kidd-Gilchrist was taken to a New York City area hospital for a CT scan that revealed a rib contusion.

Amar’e Stoudemire had 17 points and 10 rebounds off the bench for the Knicks (2-1), who won their second straight. Shumpert added 15 points.

Stoudemire, who recorded the Knicks first double-double of the season, might have joined the 20,000-point club if not for a rash of knee operations that have limited him from being on the court over the last three seasons.

“That means you put in a lot of work in this league, you stay injury free and you put a lot of work in practice, a lot of repetition that goes into being that efficient within the games,” he said.

Rookie head coach Derek Fisher came away impressed with the Knicks defensive effort in the final 2:23 of the game as the New York defense paved the way for the victory by forcing three of Charlotte’s 12 turnovers down the stretch.

“Their effort in just trying to do what we’re asking them to do is really high,” Fisher said. “Even though we are making some mistakes . we are still making it hard for teams to score in a lot of situations.”

With 2:49 remaining Charlotte’s Kemba Walker scored on a reverse lay-up to extend the Hornets’ lead to 93-90. After Lance Stephenson was called for traveling, Knicks backup point guard Pablo Prigioni found an open Iman Shumpert, who hit a 3-pointer with 2:06 left, to even the game 93-all.

Walker then missed a layup with 1:42 to play, setting up Anthony’s 15-foot jumper gave the Knicks the lead for good, 95-93. Stephenson then followed that up with another costly turnover that resulted in a steal by Shumpert with 1:00 to go.

After Anthony missed a jumper, the Knicks were called for a shot clock violation. Charlotte called a 20-second timeout but Stephenson was whistled for a 5-second violation as he failed to inbound the ball in time.

The Brooklyn product couldn’t agree with the referee’s decision.

“I don’t think it was five second, more like three,” Stephenson said.

Walker, the New York City product who had 14 points, had a chance to tie the game with three seconds left in the game but missed on a contested pull up jumper. Anthony then sealed New York’s win with a free throw that extended the lead, 96-93.

TIP-INS

Hornets: After being benched during the final stretch of Saturday night’s home loss to Memphis, Stevenson, who starred at Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, was back in the lineup for coach Steve Clifford, who said he had spoken to the team’s prized offseason acquisition about his decision to bench him against Memphis.

Knicks: Prior to tip-off, Knicks coach Derek Fisher said forward Andrea Bargnani had been doing better with his recuperation from a right hamstring injury and expects for the former number 1 overall pick to return “soon” but not until perhaps next week.

POINT IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

Larkin started his third straight game as the Knicks point guard with Jose Calderon out two to three weeks due to a right calf injury. But Fisher decided to go with Prigioni for the last 15:33 of the game.

STILL NOT ENOUGH

Charlotte surpassed Saturday night’s point total late in the third quarter. The Hornets managed just 69 points in their loss to Memphis.

UP NEXT

Charlotte: The Hornets travel to New Orleans to play Wednesday.

New York: The Knicks will face Washington at home Wednesday night.

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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