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Maya Moore scores 26 to lead Lynx past Storm 77-60

By WTOP Staff

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Maya Moore’s strong second half was too much for the Seattle Storm.

Moore scored 16 of her game-high 26 points in the third quarter to lead the Minnesota Lynx to a 77-60 victory over the Storm.

Camille Little led Seattle (9-14) with 17 points, while Temeka Johnson added 12 for the Storm, who have lost four of six.

The game was delayed about 15 minutes late in the second quarter when Storm guard Shekinna Stricklen hit her head on the court after a collision with Minnesota’s Tan White.

Stricklen was taken off the court on a stretcher and driven to a local hospital to evaluate a strained neck.

After the game, Storm coach Brian Agler called the situation “pretty optimistic” and said Stricklen did not lose consciousness or feeling in her extremities. She was allowed to fly back to Seattle with her teammates after the game.

Moore, the WNBA’s leading scoring at 23.7 points per game, was selected to participate in a celebrity softball game Sunday night that’s part of Major League Baseball’s All-Star festivities next door at Target Field.

But first, she had some business to take care of against the league’s stingiest defense.

For the first 20 minutes, the Storm held Moore to just six points on 2-for-8 shooting. But something changed at halftime. Just don’t ask Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve what happened.

“Maybe she made a phone call to her mom, maybe she ate some red velvet cake. I don’t know what it was,” Reeve said.

“I’m glad she came to for us because we needed her. She was just playing very uncharacteristically off. We’d get her wide open, (and) we haven’t gotten her wide open in a long time, and all of a sudden she’s shot-faking and jab-stepping and doing some weird stuff, forgetting plays. But she woke up at halftime.”

Moore opened the third quarter with a nine-point spurt in the first 2 minutes to push the Lynx to a 41-28 lead.

She hit a 3-pointer off the second-half tip, stole a pass and drove the length of the court for a layup, then hit a pair of jumpers. She later hit a pair of free throws, made a 20-foot jumper, and converted a three-point play off a low-post move.

She scored 16 of the Lynx’s 30 points in the third quarter to put the game out of reach.

“She’s one of those players like all the great ones are,” Agler said. “If they get a little bit of a rhythm going, they’re tough to contend with.”

Much of Minnesota’s success was due to its defense. The Lynx forced six Seattle turnovers in the quarter and outscored the Storm 16-2 in transition for the game. They also outrebounded Seattle 46-27, with Moore grabbing a game-high 12 rebounds.

“We had great defensive energy and intensity, which always helps me have fun and run the floor. I build off of that defensive momentum,” Moore said. “It just makes a statement when you turn your defense into offense because you’re not only preventing them from scoring, you’re making that gap larger by scoring yourself.”

Janel McCarville scored 13 points while Devereaux Peters added 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Lynx (16-6), who won their third straight and have the best home record in the league at 9-1.

Minnesota guard Seimone Augustus missed her sixth straight game with bursitis in her left knee.

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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