CoLA complete perfect season to reclaim WEABL crown

By Guest Writer on March 26, 2026

Perfection. There is no other word for CoLA’s 2025-26 WEABL season – a flawless 9-0 regular season capped with three playoff victories, the last of which crowned them champions for a record-extending sixth time.

But head coach Jackson Gibbons knows it easily could have gone the other way. “Even last year the girls felt like they gave one away,” he said. “This year they were very locked in and committed to securing home court advantage.”

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Defending champions Copleston hung with CoLA for three quarters, maintaining a competitive edge that kept the outcome uncertain heading into the final period. “Credit to Copleston as well,” Gibbons acknowledged. “They’ve had a fantastic season. They’re the defending champions.”

The turning point came after half-time. “Slight change in tactics and a half-time talk that was very much around focus in, locking in and stop making unnecessary unforced errors,” Gibbons explained. “Time-old saying — play the game, not the occasion. In the first half, some of our girls were a little bit too high. In the second half, we settled down.”

Settled down is an understatement. A 15-3 run in the fourth quarter blew the game open, turning a tight contest into a 21-14 final period that returned the WEABL crown to Southwark.

Adaora Dioramma was the engine behind everything. Her 20-point, 21-rebound double-double — on 50% shooting and 100% from the free-throw line — earned a unanimous MVP selection. “Rebounding is my main playing style and also attacking the basket, so I’m really happy for getting MVP,” Dioramma said. “It just shows how much hard work I’ve put in on and off the court.”

Gibbons was especially proud of his star forward’s journey. “Adora’s had up and down times at CoLA. She’s had a lot of injuries this season and she’s come back and she’s just been resilient. I could tell this morning when she walked into the gym that she was fully applied. She’s the most wonderful kid — really, really deserves the MVP.”

On what makes CoLA tick, Gibbons pointed to culture over X’s and O’s. “CoLA is about individuals contributing to the whole and being a part of something and finding a place to belong. We have a saying — play for the girl next to you. And I think they did that today.”

Short-handed Copleston, who used barely four minutes of bench time across the entire game, were led by Anna Koscielny-Lemaire (14 points, six rebounds) and Holly Ensoll’s remarkable 11-point, 16-rebound effort.

Stats.

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