In May, the New Orleans Pumas, an 11-and-12 year-old boys traveling basketball team based in River Ridge, won the Youth Basketball Organization of America's Louisiana state championship held at the Alario Center in Westwego. As state champions, the Pumas qualified for the YBOA national tournament that was held in Orlando.
"Our players were excited to win the state championship," said Christopher Scott, coach of the Pumas. "And to know that now they had a chance to go to Orlando and play in a national tournament was even more exciting. We knew in the national tournament we would be playing against some of the best basketball players in the country.