Recap
WCBL 18U Womens Division 2022-23
COLA SOUTHWARK PRIDE
SOUTHWARK LEGENDS
In just their first year of organised play, the Southwark Legends 18U girls team completed an impressive WCBL season debut by snatching the league title from reigning champions, COLA Southwark Pride, in a tense 2-point win in front of a raucous finals crowd at UEL.
The Legends have leaned all season on England international Jacqueline Oseh, who has been unstoppable on the block against all comers. Good footwork and soft hands around the basket have made her too much for defences across the league to handle all year long. But anyone familiar with girls basketball in the UK knows the name COLA is synonymous with defensive tenacity, high IQ, and taking teams out of their comfort zone. So it was in this game. COLA’s rotations, swarms and doubles made it tough for Oseh to find any rhythm, limiting her usual dominance to just 2 points.
The Legends backcourt picked up the scoring slack. The vivacious Aisha Bass-Mekere and Kaylin Robinson drained two 3-pointers each, contributing 13 crucial points and refusing to back down to the challenge, in their first ever WCBL final.
COLA’s ‘spark plug’ point guard Dajah Chapman looked to have the Pride on track towards yet another title in the first half, attacking the lane at will, drawing fouls and knocking down mid-range jump shots. Taking her team into half-time up by 4.
However Ruby Knight-Paris began to make her impact felt in the third quarter, primarily through her versatility and size on the glass and in the open court. Playing in a ‘point-forward’ role, Knight-Paris frequently grabbed the rebound and got the Legends running by leading the break herself, with an impressive handle that put COLA on their heels. With Bright Okon getting in on the scoring act, the Legends were able to tie the game late in the 4th quarter, to set up a go-ahead lay up by Jolade Babatunde that finally pushed the Legends out in front by 2 in the last 10 second of the game.
Head coach Ryan Abeleda drew up a well-designed defensive scheme in the last timeout, resulting in COLA not getting the shot they wanted to tie it, gifting the Legends a hard-earned, historic first WCBL crown.
For her strong all-around play, Paris-Knight was awarded the game MVP, but in reality it was the overall team performance that ultimately brought home the crown in the girls first ever season together. Great team effort. Great team win.
