CoLA Southwark Pride continue dominance with U18 Women’s Playoff Title

Image Credit: Basketball England

CoLA Southwark Pride won their sixth Under-18 Women’s Playoff Title in the last seven years* with a 62-45 rout of Manchester Mystics in the final on Sunday in Manchester.

In a re-match of the U18 Women’s Cup Final from January where CoLA also took victory, Felicia Jacobs had 11 points and 14 rebounds in just 19 minutes, but it was Adaora Dioramma who picked up MVP with 11 points and 13 rebounds in just under 21 minutes as CoLA set the tone by holding Manchester to just five points through the first 15 minutes and cruised the rest of the way.

“Coach wants us to really dominate from the start and that’s what we did,” CoLA’s Glory Kabia said after the game.

“I’m just really happy for my team, I thank god as well, we pushed at the start and it was great.”

CoLA add the U18 playoff title to their U18 Cup Final win, the WEABL title, and Senior Women’s Division 1 Playoff title from this season.

“Manchester showed what they were made of in the second half and made it a competitive game, congratulations to them. Rob (Fairley) has a great programme, I thought they did really well,” Head Coach Jackson Gibbons – who will be stepping back from the national league programmes next season – said.

“Just super chuffed with the girls, the way they’ve been for the last 7-8 weeks, they really locked in, they bought into anything we’ve been teaching them. It’s nice to see it all come together, I don’t think we were really coaching, I think they were managing themselves and figuring themselves out. Great group.

“I wanted to guard this week against complacency. They’ve got some fantastic players, I didn’t want us to come into this game thinking the Cup final carried through, every game starts zero zero, it’s really important for our girls to not be complacent.

“It was really nice, we had some people here today that were with us when we first started the programme many many years ago, You’re only as good as the people you’re around and they’re surrounded by some fantastic people, and really just chuffed they finished the season in the way that they did, and yeah it’s just a nice occasion for everyone.

Gibbons added they are dedicating this season to legendary Brixon Topcats coach Jimmy Rogers, his former coach, who passed away in 2018.

Irene Oboavwoduo led Manchester with 15 points, nine rebounds and four assists.

Box score.

*Based on completed seasons – two years didn’t take place due to COVID-19

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