NC Heat in AAU Final Four

#1 posting 7.15.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

TOURNAMENT RESULTS
AAU JUNIORS
NC Heat advanced to the Final Four today with two wins on Coach Hill's birthday. The Heat are playing very well with lock down defense, balanced scoring, and terrific rebounding. The Sweet 16 game vs. Missouri Team Excel was close for a half at 30-24 Minnesota. The press was fairly ineffective but there are no holes in the half court defense. NC Heat began the 2nd half with an 18-4 run and cruised to the Elite 8 with a 71-53 victory. Team Excel did get it down to 9 at one point before the Heat finished them off. NC Heat field goal percentage was down, but free throw shooting was sizzling 34/38. 2pt FG: 13/32 3pt FG: 3/11 FT: 34/38

Game 2 was against Florida's top team FG Breakdown who came in unbeaten in the tourney, a confident bunch. This game was very tight throughout with NC Heat's first lead coming at 12-11. Teams exchanged baskets for the rest of the half until late when NC Heat pushed to a 6 point lead and eventually led by 4 at half, 27-23. Breakdown had two huge post players and 5 quick guards who shot well in warm ups but not against the long Heat guards. Breakdown primarily played man with some zone mixed in. NC Heat did not press in this game and primarily played 3-2 match up with some man. In the second half the Heat played with a 4 to 8 point lead the entire half but could only push it to 10 once and briefly as Breakdown answered with a 3. Florida spectators expected a run but it never came as the Heat defense was up for this one. The final score was 58-51.

Today at 9 am NC Heat will play the Garner Flames (N.C.). The remaining teams are Silver Bullets NY Elite (last year's 15U champ) and Georgia Nike Pistols. All Final Four teams are undefeated in the tourney.

The championship game is at 1:30 pm and 3rd place is at noon EDT

AAU 15S
MN Suns 15U Greg reach the semi finals of the their bracket with a 23 point win over MD Lady Lions. They now face the TN Wings to whom they lost to in pool play earlier in the tournament. The game will be played at 2:00 pm central time.

MN Suns 15U Ellen came out in bracket play with two straight victories to reach the elite 8. They lost in the quarterfinals to the KC Shock by 5 points.

SUMMER SHOWCASE CHICAGO
The IBCA Select Red Team finished a great weekend in Chicago at the Nike Summer Showcase. After losing a close game in the opener vs. Nike Alabama Roadrunners the IBCA Red took off for a string of 4 straight victories to secure the consolation championship in the star studded "white" bracket. They defeated Legends Blue, KC Select, & the WBA Lady Knicks to reach the consolation final Monday morning. In the final, they overcame a slow start, trailing 7-20, before charging back to win 53-38 over Mile Hi Magic (a final four team in Oregon). The 46-18 run over the final 3/4 of the game was keyed on half court team defense and domination of the glass. The victory pushed the IBCA's July record to 8-3 between Portland & Chicago at the two largest evaluation tournaments in the country. Their season record is 23-4.

The IBCA Select White & Blue teams both started 2-0 advancing to the quarter finals of their respective brackets. Tough, close losses (including a Double OT sudden death loss for the white team) followed as both teams finished 2-3 in Chicago. All three teams will compete in the Adidas Battle on the Plains July 22-24 in Lincoln, NE.

ADIDAS WOMANHOOD TOURNAMENT COLLEGE STATION
MN Stars Borowicz went 4-1 in Texas. The one game they lost the other team hit a bank 3 late in the game (not a buzzer beater) and they lost by 1 point.

ALL IOWA ATTACK SWEET 16
Here are the schedules in the in the All Iowa Attack Sweet 16 tournament in Ames.

Next up: more news