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Charles career-high 32 leads Liberty over Lynx

By WTOP Staff

DOUG FEINBERG
AP Basketball Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — It’s all starting to click for Tina Charles and the New York Liberty.

Charles scored a career-high 32 points to lead the Liberty to an 87-80 win over Maya Moore and the defending champion Minnesota Lynx on Sunday.

“We’re starting to play better and I’m being more aggressive doing what my team needs,” said Charles, who had 28 points in the Liberty’s previous game.

New York (7-11) has won three straight and finished its five-game homestand with four victories.

“This was a big homestand for us,” said Cappie Pondexter, who finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds for New York. “Now we’ve got to carry this over to the road.”

The Liberty, who are 1-7 on the road this season, head to San Antonio for a game before returning for two more at Madison Square Garden before the All-Star break.

Trailing 59-53 midway through the third quarter, New York went on a 20-6 run over the next 7 minutes to take a 73-65 lead early in the final period. Charles had six points during the burst, including a jumper that made it 69-65 and gave her a career high for points. Charde Houston’s jumper with 8:04 left in the fourth capped the burst.

Moore rallied Minnesota (13-6), scoring nine straight points. Her 3-pointer tied it at 76 with 5:10 left.

“I’m so used to seeing her take over when her team needs her,” Charles said of her former UConn teammate.

But New York closed the game scoring 11 of the final 15 points, including five by Pondexter to seal the win.

“When you are trying to win on the road in this league you need to play well on defense and rebound, we didn’t do either well down the stretch,” said Moore, who finished with 25 points to lead the Lynx.

This was the first time that Moore had played in Madison Square Garden as a pro as the arena had undergone a $1 billion renovation over the past three years. She flourished at MSG while playing for UConn, averaging 21.3 points in three victories that included the Huskies’ NCAA record-tying 88th straight win against Ohio State when Moore was a junior.

She got off to a quick start on Sunday, scoring the Lynx’s first seven points, including a nifty reverse layup. Charles, her former UConn teammate, matched her pretty much basket for basket.

Minnesota built a 35-23 lead early in the second quarter before Charles rallied the Liberty. Sugar Rodgers started a 17-4 run with a three-point play and Charles had four points during the spurt. Her layup with 3:48 left in the half gave New York a 40-39 lead. The game was tied at 48 at the half.

Charles had 24 points in the first 20 minutes.

Minnesota was still missing star Seimone Augustus, who has bursitis in her left knee. Augustus has missed the past three games, but did participate in pregame warmups on Sunday. The Lynx haven’t had their complete roster healthy for a game yet this season. Rebekkah Brunson is still recovering from a right knee injury.

___

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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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