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Spain routs Serbia 89-73 to go 5-0 at World Cup

By WTOP Staff

JOSEPH WILSON
Associated Press

GRANADA, Spain (AP) — Pau Gasol scored 20 points as Spain routed Serbia 89-73 to finish the group phase of the Basketball World Cup undefeated on Thursday and remain the United States’ biggest challenger.

The new Chicago Bull center helped to ensure the game was effectively over by halftime with 14 first-half points to power the hosts to an insurmountable 19-point lead.

Spain drew the toughest group with European champion France, a Brazil with three NBA centers, and traditional power Serbia.

But future rivals beware: Brazil fell by 19 points, France by 24, and Serbia was down by double digits after just eight minutes.

Juan Carlos Navarro chipped 15 points for Spain, while substitute Nemanja Bjelica hit five 3-pointers to lead Serbia with 19 points.

Spain is so finely tuned it didn’t seem frivolous in the least when Ricky Rubio dribbled the ball between the legs of center Miroslav Raduljica before assisting Jose Calderon on his second of consecutive 3-pointers to grow the lead to 48-33 late in the second quarter.

The game’s end turned testy when Serbia coach Sasha Djordjevic was given two technical fouls and sent off under a minute left. Spain coach Juan Orenga and Rubio also got techinicals.

Spain had already clinched first place in Group A, pairing it with Senegal in the round of 16 starting Saturday.

“My players are prepared,” said Orenga. “With Senegal begins the do-or-die.”

While Spain heads to Madrid, the U.S. trades Bilbao for Barcelona to play an elimination game with Mexico after James Harden scored 17 points in a 95-71 victory over Ukraine as the Americans also finished 5-0 to top Group C.

In Seville, Greece hit the boards and beat Argentina 79-71 to win Group B with an immaculate record.

The Greeks outrebounded Argentina 41-25 and never trailed after the opening stages as Memphis Grizzlies guard Nick Calathes scored 18 points.

Greece will play Serbia next in Madrid, where Argentina (3-2) gets South American rival Brazil (4-1).

Lithuania snatched away the top spot in Group D with a 67-64 win over Slovenia in Gran Canaria.

Lithuania (4-1) held Slovenia (4-1) scoreless for the entire fourth quarter until Goran Dragic scored with 47 seconds to go. The Phoenix Sun guard went five-of-14 from the field, missing all five 3-pointers he took, to finish with 12 points.

Lithuania’s victory slotted it to play New Zealand and meant it will avoid a possible meeting with the U.S. until the semifinals.

GROUP A

BRAZIL 128, EGYPT 65

Leandrinho Barbosa scored 22 points to lead a Brazil team that had already advanced. Egypt finished winless.

FRANCE 81, IRAN 76

France (3-2) withstood Iran’s late rally with the Spanish home crowd roaring for an upset to get a 81-76 win that it needed to move on and play Croatia next. Guard Thomas Heurtel paced the European champions with 15 points, while forward Samad Nikkhah Bahrami had 23 for Iran (1-4).

GROUP B

CROATIA 103, PUERTO RICO 82

With the group’s final playoff spot at stake, Brooklyn Net guard Bojan Bogdanovic scored 23 points to help book Croatia (3-2) a place in Madrid and send Puerto Rico packing. J.J. Barea scored 20 for Puerto Rico (1-4).

PHILIPPINES 81, SENEGAL 79, OT

Philippines waited 40 years for this moment, and almost let it slip away. Senegal’s Maleye Ndoye made a 3-pointer to send the game to overtime at 64-64, but the Philippines (1-4) gritted out the extra period to record its first win at a world championship since 1974 and turn its exit from the tournament into a celebration.

GROUP C

NEW ZEALAND 67, FINLAND 65

New Zealand advanced and sent Finland and its raucous supporters home. Isaac Fotu scored 18 points for the Tall Blacks, while Gerald Lee had 18 points for Finland (1-4).

TURKEY 77, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 64

Oguz Savash scored 15 points for Turkey (3-2) as it claimed a date with Australia. Francisco Garcia had 18 points for the Dominican Republic (2-3), which will face Slovenia.

GROUP D

MEXICO 87, KOREA 71

Hector Hernandez scored 16 points as Mexico (2-3) secured a fourth-place finish in Group D. Taejong Moon scored 16 for winless Korea.

ANGOLA 91, AUSTRALIA 83

Yanick Moreira poured in 38 points as Angola (2-3) made up a 15-point deficit but fell short of qualifying for the knockout phase. Guard Chris Goulding scored 22 points for Australia (3-2).

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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