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Taurasi has 19 points, Mercury top Sky 72-66

By WTOP Staff

SARAH TROTTO
Associated Press

ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) — The Phoenix Mercury scored a season-low and shot a season-worst 37.3 percent.

They still won.

The Mercury overcame an off shooting night and 17 turnovers to beat struggling Chicago Sky 72-66 on Friday night and extend their franchise-record winning streak to nine games.

“Sometimes you have to win ugly,” coach Sandy Brondello said. “That was probably our worst performance of the year. You give credit to Chicago — they were way more aggressive, getting in passing lanes and taking us out of stuff we wanted to do. We struggled, but we just dug deep.”

After trailing by as many as six, the Mercury rallied in the third quarter as Diana Taurasi scored 13 of her team-high 19 points in the second half.

DeWanna Bonner added 13 points and Brittney Griner had 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Mercury (15-3), who have the league’s best record and top the Western Conference standings. Candice Dupree added 11 points and 11 rebounds, and Penny Taylor had 10 points.

Sylvia Fowles had 23 points and 11 rebounds while battling foul trouble for the Sky (8-12), who have lost four straight and 12 of 15.

They were without All-Star forward Elena Delle Donne and point guard Courtney Vandersloot. Delle Donne had a flare-up of Lyme disease and Vandersloot missed her fifth straight game with a sprained knee. She could be sidelined up to 10 weeks. Sky coach Pokey Chatman doesn’t expect Delle Donne to return until after the All-Star game on July 19.

Fowles re-entered the game with five fouls with 5:06 to go and the Mercury leading 60-57. Taurasi’s 3 gave Phoenix a 65-59 lead with 3:12 remaining. Tamera Young’s layup pulled the Sky to within 65-61, but Dupree came up with a steal and layup for a 67-61 lead to all but seal it with 1:18 left.

Jamierra Faulkner had 13 points and Young 12 for Chicago, which shot 40.9 percent from the field. Epiphanny Prince, who came in averaging 17.4 points, finished with five.

“We missed an opportunity to get a win against the best team in the league,” Chatman said. “We had energy early, especially defensively.”

The Mercury came in averaging nearly 85 points per game.

“We just shot the ball poorly,” Brondello said. “We had some wide-open looks. Tonight wasn’t one of those games. Our defense was good. To hold them to 66 points and Prince to five points is a great step for us.”

The Mercury tied it 42-42 on Bonner’s three-point play and Taurasi found Griner for a layup and a 44-42 lead, Phoenix’s first since the opening seconds. Griner was fouled and made the free throw.

“We have so many weapons,” said Taurasi, who had five assists. “There’s never a bad moment to make a pass to someone on our team.”

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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