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Landale leads No. 22 Saint Mary’s past Loyola Marymount

By The Associated Press

MORAGA, Calif. (AP) — For one of the few times this season, Saint Mary’s coach Randy Bennett had trouble finding anything wrong with how his team played.

On a night when the Gaels had one of their best offensive nights of the season and got big contributions off the bench, there was no need to nitpick.

Jock Landale had 16 points and 11 rebounds and No. 22 Saint Mary’s beat Loyola Marymount 81-48 on Thursday night.

Evan Fitzner had a season-high 13 points — all in the first half — and Calvin Hermanson added 11 to help the Gaels (23-3, 13-2 West Coast Conference) to their eighth win in nine games.

“I didn’t see that game going that way,” Bennett said. “We were able to separate early and we needed that. We played pretty well tonight . one of our most balanced games we’ve had as far as playing well on both sides of the ball.”

Playing for the first time since losing to No. 1 Gonzaga last week, Saint Mary’s showed no lingering effects and led by as many as 38 points while extending its winning streak to 11 straight against Loyola Marymount.

Landale provided the bulk of the offense with his 12th double-double of the season on 6-of-7 shooting. The 6-foot-11-inch Aussie played only 22 minutes when Bennett went to his bench.

Unlike many games this season, the Gaels provided their big man with plenty of offensive support. Fitzner, who played just 2 minutes against the Lions when the teams played in December, and Hermanson made three 3-pointers each.

“That’s a result of good offense and good teamwork,” Landale said. “Our bench is great. We always know they can score and tonight they just kind of showed that off a little bit.”

Brandon Brown scored 10 points for Loyola Marymount. The Lions (12-14, 5-10) have lost 22 of their last 23 against the Gaels.

The win assures Saint Mary’s of finishing no worse than tied for second in the WCC. The Gaels can clinch the No. 2 seed for the conference tournament with a win over BYU on Saturday.

FITZNER FINDS MINUTES

Fitzner has started 61 consecutive games for Saint Mary’s, but the Gaels sophomore has found minutes hard to come by over the past two months. That changed when Fitzner got off to a fast start against Loyola Marymount. He made two early 3-pointers, teamed with Landale and Tanner Krebs for all of the scoring during a 17-2 run, then made another shot beyond the arc with 51 seconds left to help push Saint Mary’s halftime lead to 46-25. “I just want to play my role and do whatever I can to help the team win,” Fitzner said. “But obviously it feels good when your teammates give you the ball and you make some open shots.”

BIG PICTURE

Loyola Marymount: A mismatch in just about every way. The Lions shot just 38 percent, were outrebounded 37-19 and had only one player in double figures. They also went more than 10 minutes without a field goal in the second half.

Saint Mary’s: Save for a little sloppy patch near the end of the first half, this was a crisp game offensively for the Gaels. The key was getting steady scoring from someone other than Landale, and Fitzner provided just that to keep the Lions from collapsing the interior. .. Joe Rahon had five rebounds and seven assists.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

The Gaels dropped two spots in the latest poll following their loss to No. 1 Gonzaga last week. The win over the Lions won’t garner much support, but with No. 20 Creighton and No. 21 South Carolina losing earlier in the week, the door is open for Saint Mary’s to climb back into the top 20.

UP NEXT

Loyola Marymount: The Lions return home to host Pepperdine on Saturday.

Saint Mary’s: Travels to BYU on Saturday night.

___

More AP college basketball: www.collegebasketball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

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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