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Augustus scores 17 points, Lynx beat Stars 88-78

By WTOP Staff

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Seimone Augustus scored 17 points in her return from a knee injury and the Minnesota Lynx beat the San Antonio Stars 88-78 on Friday night for their sixth straight victory.

After missing eight games and the All-Star Game because of bursitis in her left knee, Augustus received a loud ovation as she was introduced in the starting lineup. The cheers were even louder in the fourth quarter when she fueled a 12-0 run that put the game out of reach.

“At first it was like, ‘Ugh, got to catch my breath,'” said Augustus, who also had six assists. “Legs were kind of tired, but once the game got going I got into a rhythm. It felt great.”

The knee sure looked fine during the deciding run. With 6:33 left, Augustus brought the crowd to its feet on a behind-the-back, crossover step-back from 19 feet away. The shot fell, the Lynx went up by 12, and San Antonio called timeout.

“The stuff that Seimone does, she does in her sleep,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. “The behind the back, the crossover, she’s been doing it so long it’s really not hard, it’s like riding a bike you’ve just to get right back to it.”

Lindsay Whalen added 14 points to help Minnesota (19-6) beat San Antonio for the 10th straight time at Target Center. Maya Moore had 12 points three nights after scoring a career-high 48 against Atlanta. Rebekkah Brunson scored 10 in her second game back since missing 23 games after right knee surgery.

It was the first time Minnesota’s roster was at full strength all season.

“I joke with her and Brunson, they’ve played so many games in their career so missing a couple of weeks is really nothing for them,” Reeve said.

Danielle Robinson led the Stars (12-13) with 15 points, Shenise Johnson had 13 and Kayla McBride 12.

Minnesota led by 10 points in the third quarter before San Antonio used a 13-6 run to cut the Lynx’s lead to 52-51 with 5:15 to play in the period. The Stars went 8 for 18 from 3-point range to Minnesota’s 1-of-9 performance, but the Lynx shot 18 free throws to San Antonio’s four.

“That’s tough to make up,” Stars coach Dan Hughes said. “That’s a tough scenario for us to make that differential up in that situation and we had to deal with some foul trouble that we don’t normally do.”

Minnesota outscored the Stars in the paint 38-30 and had 17 second-chance points to San Antonio’s nine, mostly thanks to tough inside play by Brunson and Janel McCarville, who finished with 11 points.

“It’s good to be able to have the physical presence of all 12 members of our team,” Moore said.

Now they just have to get used to each other again.

“It’s just a matter of putting all those pieces together, and making sure that we are all continuing to focus on what we can bring to the game when it’s our turn to go in,” Moore said.

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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