West Spotlight | Cougars celebrate banner with big win

Featured image: Michael Farnell @sportsimageryau

The guard-centre WNBL combination of Alex Ciabattoni and Jessie Edwards dominated as the Cockburn Cougars celebrated their 2025 championship with a 25th straight win beating the Willetton Tigers 96-76.

The two local rivals met in an NBL1 West Grand Final only back in 2023 and there's not much love lost between them despite the changes in both since including the head coaches.

But there was some added spice to Thursday night with Ruby Porter on hand at Wally Hagan Stadium to celebrate the 2025 championship where she was Grand Final MVP – only she is now playing with Willetton.

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The Cougars would celebrate raising their championship banner following the game and before the men's match started. They wanted to ensure that was on the back of another win and ensured that happened with a 33-point third quarter.

That set the stage for Cockburn's eventual 20-point victory to mean they have now won 25 straight matches having gone through all of 2025 undefeated and having still not lost an NBL1 West game since the 2024 Grand Final against the Rockingham Flames.

The Cougars still won by the 20 points despite having 20 turnovers and they did pull down 21 offensive rebounds while also ending up attempting 23 free throws to just the nine from Willetton.

Alex Ciabattoni was again a star in the win for Cockburn with 22 points, three rebounds, three steals and two assists while fresh off a WNBL championship at the Townsville Fire, Jessie Edwards delivered 17 points, 11 boards, three assists, three steals and two blocked shots on 8/10 shooting.

Another player coming off a WNBL season, Alira Fotu, is also thriving already with the Cougars with 14 points and five assists. Jewel Williams contributed 11 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals, and Hannah Summers 13 points on 4/6 shooting with 2/4 from downtown.

Ayla Pizzuto added nine points and Jaya Scafidi seven points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocked shots.

Willetton are now 0-2 to start life under new coach and former 512-game playing veteran Sue Williams with her replacing dual championship winning coach Simon Parker who had been in charge since taking over midway through 2013.

Ruby Porter had 12 points in the first quarter on her former home court and finished with 21 for the game with four assists, three rebounds and three steals on 9/21 shooting but not getting to the free-throw line once.

Emma Gandini added 18 points, nine rebounds, three steals and two assists, Courtney Stothard 11 points and seven boards, and Ella Murdoch 10 points and eight rebounds.

The Cougars put their winning streak on the line against the team they beat in the 2023 Grand Final but the Tigers took it right up to them in the opening quarter and even managed to be shooting 56 per cent from the field.

Last year's Grand Final MVP Ruby Porter was key to that in her first game against the team she won a championship with by having 12 first quarter points.

Despite that, Cockburn were still leading 31-26 after one on the back of Alex Ciabattoni's 13 points and with the defending champions putting up an extra eight shot attempts and five more free throws.

Cockburn then took further control in the second quarter with another 22 points to 11 and while Ciabattoni only added three more points in the term, she he had plenty of help including Jessie Edwards going into half-time already with 11 points and eight rebounds.

The Tigers managed just 11 points for the second term on 5/26 shooting including going 1/15 from downtown with the Cougars well on top leading 53-37.

The Cougars' offence then clicked further into gear in the third quarter and they piled on 33 points on the back of shooting 12/19 from the field to open up a 26-point advantage by three quarter-time, and convert that into the eventual 20-point triumph before then celebrate their championship banner.

The Tigers remain on the road next Friday night against the Perth Redbacks while the Cougars will be away to the Joondalup Wolves on Saturday as they look to extend their winning streak.

NBL1 WEST 2026 SEASON | ROUND 2

COCKBURN COUGARS 96 (Ciabattoni 22, Edwards 17, Fotu 14)

WILLETTON TIGERS 76 (Ruby Porter 21, Emma Gandini 18, Stothard 11)