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McBride scores 16 as Stars beat Sky 92-74

By WTOP Staff

RAUL DOMINGUEZ
Associated Press

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The San Antonio Stars got the kind of balanced scoring they hope to display down the stretch.

Kayla McBride scored 16 points, Danielle Adams had 14 and the Stars rolled to a 92-74 victory over the Chicago Sky on Tuesday night. Sophia Young-Malcolm added 12 points, Shenise Johnson had 11 and Jia Perkins scored 12 on 5-for-8 shooting in her first game in a month.

San Antonio (13-14) finished with 27 assists while shooting 51 percent from the field (38 for 75).

“This is the kind of basketball that we want to play,” Perkins said. “That’s San Antonio basketball, when the ball is moving and we find the open shooters or we’re taking advantage of anything on the block. We did a great, great job of that tonight.”

Epiphanny Prince finished with 23 points, Jamierra Faulkner added 19 and Sylvia Fowles scored 14 for Chicago (10-16).

While San Antonio was celebrating a win that ended a two-game skid, the hallway outside of the visiting locker room echoed with Sky coach Pokey Chatman’s screams and the sounds of smashed items during a 10-minute meeting.

The loss, combined with New York’s 80-76 overtime victory against Washington, dropped the Sky 1 1/2 games behind the Liberty for the East’s fourth and final playoff spot.

Chicago has lost eight of 10 while playing without starters Elena Delle Donne and point guard Courtney Vandersloot, who is out with a knee injury. Delle Donne, who has missed all but nine games due to Lyme disease, could return for Thursday’s home game against New York.

“We’ve been talking about (stepping up) for a long time, probably eight games ago,” Chatman said. “It’s easy to read who’s not here and the focus needs to be on who’s here. We’ve not had people here all year, that’s just part of it. It’s part of any sport, so I just make sure we kept top of mind (of our mind) that if we do the dirt work — defend, rebound, get the 50/50 ball — you give yourself an opportunity and that’s what we didn’t do.”

The absences of Delle Donne and Vandersloot didn’t seem to hinder the Sky early as Prince had 16 points in the opening quarter while shooting 6 for 7 on a series of midrange jumpers and drives. However, she had only seven points the rest of the way.

“I think we had a more aggressive side, especially toward Epiphanny Prince,” McBride said. “She had that great first quarter, so we were just trying to limit her touches and make her a passer. We were doubling down on Sylvia Fowles, not letting her get going and that turned into transition points for us. I think that started defensively.”

Each team made its first four shots and combined to shoot 62 percent from the field in the opening period.

Prince had all but one of the Sky’s first four baskets and Becky Hammon capped the Stars’ run with a 3-pointer to give them a 9-8 lead with 7:47 left in the first quarter.

After falling behind 24-19 on Brandon’s 11-foot jumper with 1:18 remaining in the first quarter, San Antonio went on a 20-1 run to take a 39-25 lead on Perkins’ 3-pointer with 6 minutes left in the first half.

“Honestly, I wasn’t even worried about my offensive game,” Perkins said. “I was going to shoot if I’m open and just make plays but I just wanted to bring energy defensively.”

After missing 11 games since straining a hamstring June 26 against Atlanta, Perkins received a loud ovation upon entering 3 minutes into the second quarter. She missed her first 3-point attempt before making her next two and a running jumper to give San Antonio a 44-29 lead with 4 minutes left in the first half.

Despite having a decidedly smaller lineup, the Stars outrebounded the Sky 39-30 and scored 34 points in the paint compared to allowing 30.

“Even when we did good things, we didn’t keep the ball in front of us,” Chatman said. “We scored 24, but gave up 27. Dribble penetration, help, kick, dribble penetration, contest, rebound (for San Antonio). To get outrebounded . several areas that you can’t do against a good team in this league, let alone a very good San Antonio team.”

Trailing 48-37 at the break, Chicago opened the second half on a 9-4 run before veterans Hammon and Young-Malcolm helped San Antonio regain its footing. The Stars led 70-56 lead entering the fourth.

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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