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Spain beats France 88-64 to go 4-0 at World Cup

By WTOP Staff

JOSEPH WILSON
Associated Press

GRANADA, Spain (AP) — Ricky Rubio’s quick hands set the tone and Marc Gasol had a game-high 17 points as Spain beat France 88-64 Wednesday to remain undefeated at the Basketball World Cup.

Rubio had five assists, three steals and two drives down the lane for layups in the first quarter in his 100th appearance for the national team, with the Minnesota Timberwolves point guard looking eager to atone for Spain’s loss to France at last year’s European Championship.

Rubio struggled later, but Spain was never threatened down the stretch.

France focused on containing Pau Gasol, but the Chicago Bulls player still scored 15 points to nearly match his brother Marc.

The closest France got was 19-19, but Juan Carlos Navarro sunk a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to end the first quarter. Navarro then drained another 3 followed by Marc also scoring from long range.

And France never came close again.

“I am disappointed with the score spread, because we started quite well,” said France coach Vincent Collet. “When you let them go they become unstoppable.”

France, playing without star Tony Parker, was kept afloat by Nicolas Batum and Antoine Diot with 11 points each.

Spain (4-0) returns to the raucous Palacio de Deportes to play Serbia (2-2) on Thursday, when France (2-2) faces Egypt (0-4) to close Group A.

Also in Granada, forward Marquinhos Vieira made six 3-pointers in a 81-73 win for Brazil (3-1) after it weathered Serbia’s explosive third quarter, when it erased an 18-point deficit.

At other venues, the U.S., Greece and Slovenia also improved to 4-0 to remain in first place in their groups with one game to go.

U.S. forward Kenneth Faried kept up his sharp shooting as he led the U.S. with 16 points in a 106-71 over the Dominican Republic (2-2) in Group C in Bilbao.

In Group B in Seville, Greece dished out 23 assists to beat Croatia 76-65 with forwards Kostas Papanikolaou and Kostas Kaimakoglou scoring 14 points each.

Goran Dragic of the Phoenix Suns scored 14 points and Slovenia avoided an upset, holding off Angola 93-87 in Group D in Gran Canaria.

Point guard Roberto Fortes scored 21 points while center Yanick Moreira added 20 more for Angola (1-3).

GROUP A

IRAN 88, EGYPT 73

Hamed Haddadi dominated the paint with 23 points and 15 rebounds, and Samad Nikkah Bahrami hit six three pointers as Iran (1-3) never trailed the winless Egypt.

GROUP B

ARGENTINA 81, SENEGAL 46

Indiana Pacers forward Luis Scola scored 22 points and hauled in 14 rebounds as Argentina improved to 3-1, positioning the South Americans to play for the group’s top spot when they take on Greece in the last group phase match. Gorgui Dieng had 11 points for Senegal (2-2).

PUERTO RICO 77, PHILIPPINES 73

J.J. Barea scored the go-head layup and made three free throws to out-duel Andray Blatche and give Puerto Rico (1-3) its first win of the tournament. He finished with 30 points. Blatche scored 25 points for the Philippines (0-4).

GROUP C

TURKEY 77, FINLAND 73, OT

Cenk Akyol made a tying 3-pointer with 4.2 seconds remaining in regulation, and Turkey (2-2) evened its record behind 22 points from New Orleans Pelicans center Omer Asik. Petteri Koponen scored 17 points for Finland (1-3), but missed two free throws in the final seconds of regulation with the Finns up by three.

NEW ZEALAND 73, UKRAINE 61

New Zealand (1-3) grabbed 48 rebounds to Ukraine’s 25, and Kirk Penney scored 17 points as the Tall Blacks kept alive their chances at the second round. Maxym Kornienko had 15 points for Ukraine (2-2).

GROUP D

LITHUANIA, 79 KOREA 49

Adas Juskevicius made six 3-pointers to help ensure Lithuania (3-1) can still fight for first place when it plays Slovenia in the final group game.

AUSTRALIA 70, MEXICO 62

Aron Baynes scored 21 points in a game Australia (3-1) led for the entire second half. Atlanta Hawks center Gustavo Ayon had 11 points for Mexico (1-3).

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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