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Christmas leads Fever in 77-70 win over Dream

By WTOP Staff

MATT WINKLEJOHN
Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) — The Indiana Fever don’t seem to have any problems winning in Atlanta.

Karima Christmas scored a season high-tying 18 points and Sydney Carter had all of her 11 points in the second half to lead the Fever to a 77-70 victory over the Dream on Tuesday night.

Indiana leading scorer Shavonte Zellous also scored 11 points on 3-for-14 shooting to help the Fever (7-9) get their second win in Atlanta this season.

“With Carter, having another guard really helped us. She and Christmas are MVPs,” Indiana coach Lin Dunn said. “Sydney had a real bad ankle sprain. We’re getting her back in the lineup. I could have done a better job getting her more minutes . . . she looks like her old self.”

Carter, who was briefly with the Dream last season, scored a career-high 14 points when the Fever won 82-77 in overtime in Atlanta on May 25.

Indiana led 71-70 when Carter was whistled for charging with 57.5 seconds left in the game. Since it happened in the final minute, officials called for a review and decided that Atlanta defender Tiffany Hayes was in the restricted area. With that, the basket counted and Carter added a free throw to push the lead to 74-70.

“I used to not be a fan of reviews because it lengthens the game, but now I’m a super fan,” Dunn said. “If had been at 1:07, hey, no review and the momentum swings to them and it could have been a different ball game.”

Dream reserve Amanda Thompson committed a turnover moments later and Christmas added three free throws down the stretch to close the scoring for the Fever.

Erika de Souza scored 23 points for the Dream (11-5), who lost for just the second time in nine home games this season — both losses coming against the Fever. Atlanta leading scorer Angel McCoughtry added 17 points on 6-for-18 shooting.

The Dream were 0 for 13 on 3-point attempts.

“Our team is not built around 3-point shooting . . . we’re an inside team,” Atlanta coach Michael Cooper said after his team had a 42-28 edge on inside scoring. “Championships are won in the paint, and I thought we did that tonight. I just thought we came up short on the free throws.

“Toward the end, we executed defensively as well as offensively, and that got us within reach until the replay.”

Atlanta’s final lead came when Celine Dumerc made two free throws for a 20-19 edge with 1:44 left in the first quarter.

Trailing 70-61 after Zellous made a layup with 3:57 left in the game, the Dream went on a 9-1 run to make it close. De Souza’s two free throws with 1:12 to go pulled Atlanta within a point before the charge/block play at the other end would swing the game for good.

“It’s very intense when we play Atlanta,” Zellous said, mindful of the fact the teams have split four games this season with each winning once in overtime. “We had a tough game against them at home Sunday, and we let it slip away from us in the fourth quarter. We were determined not to let that happen again.”

Christmas entered the game averaging 7.3 points, but has averaged 14.5 over the past six contests.

The Fever’s biggest lead was 37-25 on Marissa Coleman’s 3-pointers on consecutive Indiana possessions with 3:49 left in the first half.

Indiana, which has played all season without Tamika Catchings (sore back), entered the game 10th in the WNBA in rebounding (32.2 per game) while Atlanta was No. 1 (38.0). However, the Fever outworked the Dream on the boards 20-16 over the first two quarters as Christmas grabbed six off the bench to help Indiana take a 40-34 lead at the break.

Atlanta tied the score twice in the third quarter, first on a basket by McCoughtry and later on a short jumper by Thompson, but Indiana scored the period’s final four points on two free throws each by Briann January and Christmas.

Those shots left the WNBA’s 10th-ranked free-throw shooting team 20 for 21 from the line through three quarters. The Fever finished 27 for 30 to Atlanta’s 20 for 32.

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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