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Dream pull away from Shock with big 2nd quarter

By WTOP Staff

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Dream appear back on track at just the right time.

Ericka de Souza had 21 points and 12 rebounds, and the Dream used a big second-quarter run to pull away from the Tulsa Shock en route to a 92-76 victory on Friday night.

“We need momentum heading into the playoffs,” said Angel McCoughtry, who returned after a two-game absence. “We had to get off that losing streak. That was championship-type basketball with championship-type energy, so it was great.”

The Dream (19-14) were in a late-season tailspin, dropping five straight and nine of 11 entering the final week of the season. But Atlanta clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference on Wednesday with a solid 96-82 win over league-best Phoenix, then put together another strong effort on Friday.

“We have tried to stay together and play together and focus on the playoffs,” de Souza said.

The Dream finish the regular season at Connecticut on Sunday and will host Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on either Aug. 21 or 22.

McCoughtry had injections in her ailing feet before the game and said she felt much better. She played 15 minutes and scored 12 points as she worked to get her conditioning back.

Skylar Diggins, who was shut out in the first half, led Tulsa (12-21) with 24 points. She was 0 for 6 during the decisive first half. Odyssey Sims had 23 points.

“(Atlanta) is a team that if you don’t come out ready to play, they will run right over you,” Diggins said. “And that’s exactly what they did to us in the first half.”

Sancho Lyttle scored 17 points and Aneika Henry had 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Dream, who outscored the Shock 20-4 during one stretch of the second.

The Dream led by as many as 28 points in the second half before the Shock cut the lead to 10 late in the fourth quarter. Rookie Shoni Schimmel (13 points, nine assists) nailed a 3-pointer with 1:53 to play that stopped the Shock’s momentum and gave Atlanta an 88-75 lead.

Much of the Dream’s late-season struggles took place during coach Michael Cooper’s medical leave following a diagnosis of early stage tongue cancer. He rejoined the team in Seattle on Aug. 7 and has seen his squad return to the form it displayed when it started the season 15-5.

“We were just going through our bad spell. Every team has them every year,” said Cooper, whose team finished 13-4 at home. “This team is notorious for having them towards the end, but we are playing good basketball. We definitely need to practice and we got a practice before our last game and that helped a lot.”

For the second straight game, the Dream took control with a dominating second quarter. Atlanta outscored Tulsa 24-6 to build a 47-25 halftime advantage. The Shock shot 3 for 15 from the floor and missed their final eight shots en route to a season low in scoring for a quarter.

Despite facing league rebounding leader Courtney Paris, who finished with 12 rebounds, Atlanta owned a 48-34 rebounding edge.

Before the game, the Dream announced a multiyear contract extension with Lyttle, who has spent the last six seasons of her 10-year career with Atlanta.

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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