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Schimmel scores 24 to lead Dream past Mercury

By WTOP Staff

ATLANTA (AP) — Even without leading scorer Angel McCoughtry, the Atlanta Dream had no trouble putting up points against the league-best Phoenix Mercury.

Rookie Shoni Schimmel scored a season-high 24 points and the Dream beat the Mercury 96-82 Wednesday night to clinch the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time in franchise history.

Tiffany Hayes had 19 points and Aneika Henry added 15 points and 12 rebounds to help Atlanta (18-14) snap a five-game losing streak during which the Dream had averaged 71.4 points.

“I knew it was just a matter of time before it came together,” Hayes said. “Coach (Michael Cooper) had a talk with the team and told the bench players that we need everyone. It can’t be five or six people. Tonight, everybody stepped up.”

McCoughtry was sidelined for the second straight game due to tendinitis in her feet.

Schimmel said McCoughtry, who averages 19 points per game, “told me to go out there and do my thing. We filled her shoes as a team.”

McCoughtry wasn’t the only All-Star on the bench. Most Valuable Player contender Diana Taurasi and Penny Taylor were healthy scratches for the Mercury (27-5), who have already secured the top spot in the West and home-court advantage throughout the WNBA playoffs.

“It was a good chance to rest them,” Mercury coach Sandy Brondello said. “They are a little beat up.”

The Mercury were beat up in the second quarter as the Dream scored a season-high 37 points. Schimmel piled up 20 points herself as the Dream turned an eight-point first-quarter deficit into a 55-41 halftime lead.

“It is a blur, thinking about it,” said Schimmel, whose 29-point performance at the WNBA All-Star game earned her MVP honors. “I looked up and saw I had 20 and I was like, ‘what?’ I don’t even remember it all. I was just out there having fun. It happened to work out that way.”

Erin Phillips scored 21 points to lead the Mercury, who were outrebounded 45-28. Shay Murphy had 11 points and Tiffany Bias added 10.

“It was a good game. I don’t care whether Diana Taurasi or Penny Taylor was in or out,” Cooper said. “It was Phoenix and they’re the best team in the league. We needed the win, probably more so than them, but again it helped to stop the bleeding for us and now we can work on getting our game together going into the playoffs.”

Mercury All-Star center Brittney Griner finished with nine points, five rebounds and three blocks. She increased her single-season blocks record to 125 before sitting out the final 14 minutes of the game, which was never closer than 12 points in the fourth quarter.

“We definitely wanted to win this game,” Griner said. “We were not looking past anyone. They jumped on us in the second quarter and we didn’t respond.”

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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