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Lynx beat Sky 74-64 for 11th straight victory

By WTOP Staff

JESS MYERS
Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Lynx insist they weren’t looking ahead or glancing at the out-of-town scoreboard. They had all they could handle right in front of them in the desperate Chicago Sky.

Maya Moore scored 17 points and the Lynx closed with an 11-0 run to beat the Sky 74-64 on Thursday night for their 11th straight victory. Lindsay Whalen added 14 points for Minnesota (24-6), which trailed 64-63 in the final two minutes.

“Early in the season we would’ve lost, in games where our offense wasn’t sharp, we would lose those games by a few possessions,” said Moore, who has been the Western Conference Player of the Week for a month running. “I think this speaks to the improvement we’ve made, knowing who we are and going out and doing what it takes to win games like that.”

Minnesota’s victory, coupled with Phoenix’s overtime win in San Antonio, means the Lynx still trail the Mercury by 1 1/2 games in the race for the Western Conference title. The two teams meet in Phoenix on Saturday.

“If we’re not better in Phoenix, this really will become a non-story,” said Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve, frustrated by her team’s defensive breakdowns versus Chicago. “Phoenix will drill us if we have that same defensive lackluster attention to detail.”

Allie Quigley led the Sky (13-17) with 20 points, but their chances of an Eastern Conference playoff spot suffered a real blow. They opened the second half on a 9-0 run to take their first lead.

“What was good for me is that we have normally struggled coming out in the third quarter,” Sky coach Pokey Chatman said. “So it was nice to get on that run. But 38 minutes against a great team is not good.”

Chicago shot just 24 percent in the opening 20 minutes, trailing 30-24 at halftime. Quigley came off the bench to lead all scorers at the break with 10 for the Sky, who are back to near full strength. Elena Delle Donne played 16 minutes and finished with two points for Chicago in her fourth game since returning from a recurrence of Lyme disease. They entered the game a half-game up on New York for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot.

“We just crumbled,” Quigley said. “We played 36-38 minutes of good basketball and the last two minutes we just didn’t execute, and against that team you can’t play anything less than 40 minutes.”

The Lynx, 14-1 at home. managed just one offensive rebound in the first half but still managed to lead by as many as 12 at one point in the opening 20 minutes.

“Hey, whatever works at this time of the season,” Whalen said. “You can’t script it. If you get a win at the end of the season against a team fighting for a playoff spot, that’s a good thing.”

Epiphanny Prince added 18 points for the Sky, who entered the game on a three-game winning streak. They host Atlanta on Sunday.

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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