CoLA Southwark Pride win Women’s National Basketball League play-off title

South London outfit CoLA Southwark Pride beat their rivals Endeavour Ipswich Basketball 72-56 to earn themselves the 2023-24 Women’s National Basketball League play-off title.

After an even first half in which neither team would lead by more than nine, a 20-7 third frame, where CoLA cranked up their defensive effort, made all the difference. Pride also dominated the rebounding battle 70-47, racking up 24 second-chance points in the process.

MVP Felicia Jacobs used timely baskets and a strong presence on the glass to keep CoLA ticking over in the low-scoring contest, finishing with 12 points and 13 rebounds (five on offence), plus three steals and an assist.

CoLA’s head coach Jackson Gibbons said: “Defence wins championships. Brian Nguru runs our defence. He’s an incredible young coach, he’s going to be phenomenal.

“I’m so proud of that group of kids. It hasn’t been a straightforward season – at all. We’ve had so many bumps in the road, whether it be the culture, the results, and they just seemed to figure it out in the last six to seven weeks.

“Half-time seemed bleak, but no-one seemed worried. We’ve had some great teams at CoLA and I would never put one team above another team, but they just wrote their name into history.

“Credit to Ipswich. What a tough team. They should hold their heads high, and they should be proud. We’ve got nothing but respect for them.”

On the performances from his forwards Felicia Jacobs, Esther Kursite and Adaora Dioramma, he said: “We know that’s our advantage against [Ipswich] and the role of coach is to empower and help young people realise how great they can be and that’s how great that group can be.

“Today they came to the party and really showed [how great they are]. They’re an incredible group of young ladies.”

Gibbons, an emotional coach, used his post-game interview to break the news that he would be stepping back from coaching CoLA’s D1 and WEABL side going forward, moving into a different role with the programme as he hands the reins over to Brian Nguru on a high.

He said: “I’m a lifer at CoLA. I have an incredible assistant coach [Nguru] that now needs to be a head coach and I’m going to let him go and cook. He needs his opportunity.

“It’s been a long road. It’s been 11 years and it’s time to give it somebody else and he’s an absolutely phenomenal coach.”

PICTURE: BASKETBALL ENGLAND

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