MEMPHIS, Tennessee (July 31, 2023) – More championships were won on Monday at the U.S. Open Basketball Championships in Memphis, Tennessee. Victorious in the women’s Stars brackets was All Iowa Attack for both the 9th and 10th grade divisions. For full results and standings, click here.
The 9th grade Stars title game was a matchup between All Iowa Attack and Pro Skills.
It was a high scoring opening quarter with All Iowa Attack carrying a five-point lead into the second, 20-15. Both sides put an emphasis on attacking the rim for high-percentage shots. The second quarter saw a slower pace with points a bit harder to come by. It wasn’t until 4:26 remaining when an All Iowa Attack 3-pointer broke a scoring drought for both teams. That bucket swayed momentum as All Iowa Attack extended their lead into intermission, 40-25.
Pro Skills opened the second half with a 10-2 run, narrowing the deficit to the smallest margin since the first quarter. An All Iowa Attack timeout at the 4:21 mark in the third quarter allowed head coach Ryan Haun to regain their championship poise.
"They made a really good run and we knew they would,” Haun said. “My timeout was too late to be honest but we emphasized getting back to what was working for us earlier and all tournament. When they score, we can’t get into transition as much and we can’t find open people. We are a better team when we get stops and that’s we got back to.”
From that timeout until the final buzzer, All Iowa Attack played a sound game on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court. The final score of the 9th grade Stars championship was 81-58.
“We knew how difficult of a task this was,” Haun said. “Trying to mesh and figure things out. It’s about making simple plays and simple shots – all the stuff we believe in. We figured it out when it mattered the most. We are happy to have been under the same roof as some of the best teams in the country and even happier to walk out with a trophy.”
Northwest Blazer GUAA took home the 9th grade Stripes championship by defeating FBC United 15U, 70-57.
The 10th grade Stars final was between All Iowa Attack and North Tartan.
North Tartan led 25-22 after a competitive opening quarter. However, the second quarter was all All Iowa Attack. North Tartan was held scoreless for the first 5:05 of the frame at which time All Iowa Attack orchestrated a 13-0 run to take a double figure lead, 35-25. The run propelled All Iowa Attack to a 42-33 halftime advantage.
“Our kids really work hard,” head coach Dickson Jensen. “That second and fourth quarter is a grind when some of the players are getting a little tired. That’s when things go our way and we try to take advantage.”
The All Iowa Attack lead was up to 12 entering the fourth quarter, 63-51. The same barrage of 3-pointers that secured their bid into the Final was identical as the flurry they connected on in the final eight minutes. It was All Iowa Attack’s moment and the championship was secured, 78-59.
“I’m really proud of the kids,” Jensen said. “They played a lot of games and competed like crazy. They let it fly and we were fortunate enough to beat really good teams this week. All Iowa Attack is a great club and that’s the key. We are not one coach or one kid. This club loves each other and that’s probably what I am the most proud of today.”
Elevate Elite 16U 3SSB won the 10th grade Stripes championship with their 79-40 victory over FGB.