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Dupree leads Mercury past Stars in overtime

By WTOP Staff

RAUL DOMINGUEZ
Associated Press

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The Phoenix Mercury were pushed around, run ragged defensively and missed shots they normally make. They gave up a big lead, too.

It was just the kind of game the WNBA leaders needed.

Candice Dupree had 20 points and 18 rebounds and Phoenix beat the San Antonio Stars 78-73 in overtime Thursday night.

“That’s what I said to my coaching staff, ‘This is not a bad game for us,'” Mercury coach Sandy Brondello said. “Because, really, we haven’t had a lot of close games and it’s actually good preparation leading to the playoffs. Because that’s what playoff basketball is like — it’s a grind, it’s really physical. It was good preparation for us.”

The Stars’ Becky Hammon failed to score and had one assist in her first game since becoming the NBA’s first full-time female assistant coach after the San Antonio Spurs announced her hiring Tuesday.

With Spurs general manager R.C. Buford in attendance for the second straight home game, Hammon spent all but 5 minutes of the second half watching from the bench as the Stars rallied from a double-digit deficit.

“It’s a tough loss,” San Antonio guard Jia Perkins said. “We really needed that game. We hung in there, we fought, but we just came up short.”

Perkins had 24 points and Danielle Adams and Danielle Robinson added 10 points each for San Antonio (13-17), which remains fourth in the Western Conference.

The Stars’ magic number to clinch a playoff berth remained at one with four games remaining.

Penny Taylor scored 16 points, DeWanna Bonner added 13 points and Brittney Griner had 12 for Phoenix (25-4). Dupree and Taylor combined to score 24 points in the fourth quarter and overtime.

Griner had five blocks, raising her season total to 117 and surpassing the WNBA’s single-season blocks record of 114 set by Margo Dydek in 1998.

“That’s probably the only one that I really care about,” Griner said. “Blocked shots are my favorite things. Now I’ve got to set it up high and try to beat it next year.”

San Antonio forced overtime after Kayla McBride outfought Phoenix for an offensive rebound following Adams’ missed 3-pointer. McBride fed Perkins, who made a 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds to tie it. With the Stars tightly guarding Diana Taurasi, Griner missed a jumper as regulation expired.

After being held to four points on 1-for-8 shooting in the second half, Dupree had 12 points in the final quarter and overtime. She was 5 for 8 in the fourth and overtime, including a layup that put Phoenix ahead to stay at 72-70 with 39.7 seconds remaining.

“Shots started to finally fall,” Dupree said. “I was taking shots in the first half that I normally make but you can’t stop shooting. It’s open in the second half baseline, trying to drive trying to shorten up the shots and make it a little easier.”

San Antonio opened the second half shooting 2 for 12, but closed the third quarter on a 15-4 run for its first lead since the opening minutes. The Stars closed the quarter 5-for-7 shooting, forcing the Mercury out of position off defensive switches with increased ball movement.

Perkins gave the Stars a 44-43 lead with 1:11 left in the third quarter after receiving a second chance to complete a three-point play when Anete Kobryn-Jekabsone had a lane violation on the initial miss.

Perkins later drained a 3-pointer with Taylor closely guarding, giving San Antonio its second straight 3 and a 55-49 lead with 7 minutes remaining.

“Defensively, it was one of our better games,” Stars coach Dan Hughes said. “I thought our activity level was good. I think we tried to work on a couple of things that I saw play out in the game today. I think that’s important this time of year that our team defense gives us a chance, and it did.”

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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