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Moore rallies Lynx past Mercury 82-77

By WTOP Staff

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — After playing her worst game of the season, Maya Moore recovered to keep the Minnesota Lynx season alive.

The league’s MVP scored 13 of her 32 points in the fourth quarter as the Lynx avoided elimination by beating the Phoenix Mercury 82-77 in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals on Sunday.

Diana Taurasi scored 23 for the Mercury, who will host Game 3 on Tuesday night.

Phoenix jumped out to a 22-9 lead after the first quarter, and after a dominant showing in Game 1, the Mercury had the three-time defending Western Conference champions on the ropes. But Moore, who was held to nine points on 3-for-9 shooting in the opener, said she trusted the process that made her team the best in the league over her four-year career.

“We always believe in each other, and if we stick to what we’re doing, something’s eventually going to break,” Moore said. “Because we’re going to keep running it hard, trusting what we’re doing, with discipline.”

Tied at 75 with 23.3 seconds left, Seimone Augustus hit a 15-foot jumper and was fouled by DeWanna Bonner. Augustus, who finished with 23 points, converted the three-point play, and after Candice Dupree missed a 15-footer on the other end, Moore hit two free throws to put it out of reach for the Lynx.

Moore was an even bigger part of the comeback early in the fourth, as she hit three 3-pointers in a 13-0 Lynx run that gave them their first lead since they scored the first point of the game. Moore hit back-to-back 3’s to pull Minnesota to within 65-62, and after Tan White made two free throws, Augustus scored down low to put Minnesota on top.

Then, with Little League World Series sensation Mo’Ne Davis on hand cheering her on, Moore then drained her fifth 3-pointer of the game to send the sellout crowd into a frenzy.

“I think she had the mindset that she’s the best player in the league and that nobody can stop her,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said of Moore’s dominant fourth quarter. “I think maybe she had a stretch in Game 1, not that she doubted that but she just didn’t play with the assertiveness that we’re accustomed to seeing.”

Fellow UConn graduate Taurasi also has grown accustomed to seeing Moore score at will.

“She made a lot of shots tonight and when she does that it’s pretty much impossible to guard her,” Taurasi said. “You pretty much put everyone on her, but you can’t do that because they’ve got Seimone, they’ve got Lindsay (Whalen).”

Minnesota dug itself an early hole and almost didn’t recover. The Lynx made just 2 of 14 field goal attempts in the first quarter as they fell behind 22-9 after 10 minutes.

But with Moore and Augustus struggling, Whalen put the Lynx on her back. Whalen scored 12 of her 17 points in the second quarter and hit five mid-range jump shots as Minnesota recovered its shooting touch to make 47 percent of its shots the rest of the way.

“It can be really demoralizing to be missing shot after shot after shot and scoring nine points in a quarter,” Reeve said. “We really needed to hang in there and not get our heads down. That’s a credit to leadership, a credit to Lindsay Whalen in particular.”

Phoenix got 18 points and nine rebounds from Dupree, while Brittney Griner scored in 14 and Erin Phillips chipped in 10 off the bench. And despite letting a 13-point lead slip away, Taurasi said the Mercury could take plenty of positives out of the loss.

“I think for 35 minutes we were pretty good today,” Taurasi said. “We’ll just do what we do every single game, same mindset. Everyone was fine in the locker room. No one was crying, so I think we’ll be ready.”

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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