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Hammon scores 18 to lead Stars past Sun, 74-71

By WTOP Staff

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — The San Antonio Stars are making up for their losses at home by winning on the road.

Becky Hammon scored 18 points and Danielle Robinson had 17 to help the Stars beat the Connecticut Sun 74-71 on Tuesday night for their fifth straight road win.

Kayla McBride added 15 points for San Antonio (9-8), and Robinson also had seven assists and three steals. The Stars, 3-5 at home, improved to 6-3 on the road.

“There is no secret,” Stars coach Dan Hughes said. “We have had a couple of good defensive games in a row and that helps you win on the road, but I don’t know, if I had the secret, I would feel like I’m smart.”

Katie Douglas scored 25 points and Kelsey Bone had 12 points and 14 rebounds for the Sun (8-9), who lost their third straight after a six-game winning streak.

Connecticut trailed 55-43 with 1:07 left in the third quarter before rallying to tie the score 61-all with 2:42 to go in the fourth.

Jayne Appel answered with a layup on the other end for the Stars.

“We gave Appel a layup that was just inexcusable,” Sun coach Anne Donovan said. “To me, we had a nice run going and we let her walk in there and score.”

The Sun were called for a shot-clock violation on their next possession with Renee Montgomery having to heave up a desperation shot after getting trapped above 3-point line.

McBride made a 3-pointer on the other end to push San Antonio’s edge to 66-61 with 1:45 remaining.

“We are not distracted on the road at all,” Hammon said. “We come together nicely and just execute. It’s a good sign for us. We need to do a little better at home, but we will get that figured out.”

San Antonio trailed 33-27 seconds into the second half when Hammon scored 12 of her team’s 28 points that quarter.

“That is vintage Becky,” Hughes said. “A lot of times I have seen her where teams give her a lot of attention in the first half, but at some point in the game she is going to find the ability to get open and make you pay and our ball movement found her and that was key.”

Kayla Alexander made two free throws to push the Stars’ advantage to 55-43, their largest of the game.

The Sun missed nine of 11 layups in the second quarter and 11 overall in first half.

“Eleven missed layups in the first half are tough to overcome, and at the same time you overcome it, you don’t get lax on defense,” Donovan said. “The (28) points San Antonio scored in the third quarter were a product of us thinking about missed layups and missed shots and us being completely complacent defensively.”

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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