Attitude successful at national tournament
Posted on Tuesday, July 22, 2008
BENTONVILLE - The NWA Attitude 13-and-under girls went 3-2 at the AAU National Tournament in Norman, Okla., last week.
The Attitude won all three games in pool play but lost twice in the bracket.
The Attitude started the tournament on a good foot by beating the Maryland Lady Shooting Stars. After falling behind 15-3 to the much bigger Stars, the Attitude rallied. After catching the Stars twice in the second half and then falling behind by as many as five points, the Attitude took a 46-45 lead with five minutes left and never looked back on the way to a 58-48 win.
Game 2 of pool play was an easy 62-27 win against the Claborne (La. ) Lady Sparks 62-27.
The Attitude then rallied to beat the Tennessee X-treme - seeded fourth nationally - to win the pool.
The Attitude jumped out early only to fall behind at half 31-30. The X-treme led by as many as five before the Attitude tied the game at 56-all with five minutes left. From there it was all Attitude as a 12-4 run to closed out the 68-60 win.
The victory gave the Attitude a first-round bye entering bracket play, where the team did not do as well.
The Attitude lost their opening game to the Missouri Dream Team, a mixture of a couple of teams out of the Springfield, Mo., area.
The Attitude jumped out to an 8-0 lead but the Dream Team rallied thanks to thanks to some three-pointers and trailed 29-27 at the half.
Another surge of treys helped the Dream Team build a 10-point lead with about eight minutes left.
The Attitude rallied to within 50-48 with 1: 30 left but the Dream Team - which finished seventh in the tournament - made enough free throws down the stretch for a 55-50 win.
The Oklahoma Select then beat the Attitude in an elimination game.
The Attitude erased the Select's early seven-point advantage and had a 22-21 lead before the Select rallied for a 13-point halftime.
Foul trouble plagued the Attitude in the second half and the Select - which finished 13 th overall - won 71-58.
The Attitude will finish their season the last weekend of July when they play in the MAYB National Tournament in Oklahoma City, Okla.
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