You'll actually do more damage in the long term and take less if you keep damaging the other attributes rather than doing basic attacks. You get some free bonus damage for every point you still have in a broken attribute. So continuing to break others with give you more bonus damage when taming and reducing your opponent's will reduce how much automatic damage your opponent does when they tame. Basic attacks are really a red herring you're not suppose to use.
I did. I usually attacked willpower first, then strength or agility, then back to willpower again so it'd break. Next I'd go for taming, then pick continue trying to break another stat. Just make sure you dodge as much as possible during the enemy's attack phase and try to score at least 23+ points during the mouse spinning phase. It was extremely difficult and took numerous tries, but it is indeed possible.