Oaklands Wolves SLBW secured a landmark victory on Saturday, 7th December, defeating Essex Rebels 99-68 in the Betty Codona Trophy semi-final at the Wolf Den. This energetic win propelled the Wolves into the competition’s final, marking a historic achievement for the team and the college. Their next challenge awaits in January when they face the formidable Caledonia Gladiators in Birmingham.
The result represents a major milestone in the Wolves’ journey. Reflecting on the team’s progress, Head Coach Lee Ryan said:
"The journey we’ve been on since 2017, from an academy program doing a lot of good work with juniors on the rise all the way through to get a group of seniors together where we can go make history is unbelievable.
To rocket from development program to a winning team this quickly is phenomenal and testament to the work that has been done on and off the court by everyone at Oaklands. The players were outstanding on Saturday, the way they attacked the game from start to finish and took the crowd with them on the journey was really special. It’s a team full of character and real quality, we don’t know what the outcome will be in the final but I do know that it will be a fun watch and this team is worth all the Oaklands fans support. Hope to see many of you there with us in Birmingham!”
This season has been nothing short of spectacular for Oaklands Wolves SLBW. They remain undefeated with a perfect 4-0 record, placing second in the league table, just two points behind leaders Sheffield Hatters. The turnaround has been remarkable, especially considering last year’s early Trophy exit at the hands of Durham Palatinates.
Beth Sarson, the longest-serving Oaklands Wolves player, expressed her pride after the semi-final win:
“it’s just nice to see all the hard work has finally paid off you know, no one ever gave up.
Obviously, Oaklands is home, so it was fun before but this time, it’s really going to mean a lot.”
Oaklands Wolves SLBW are making waves, putting themselves and their college firmly on the basketball map. Their success stands as a testament to relentless effort, team spirit, and belief that anything is possible through hard work.
Their next home fixture is on Saturday 14th December which is the double header Christmas special where we have both our men’s and SLBW teams playing at the Wolf Den in a fight to win their last home game of 2024 so don’t forget to get your tickets.