Basketball: Edinburgh Uni men and women in Trophy final

A double victory by Edinburgh University men and women in their respective British Universities Trophy semi-finals at the Pleasance this week means that both teams will be making a tough trip to a neutral venue in Leeds for the final on a slightly strange midweek date, Tuesday March 22.

Edinburgh men face formidable opponents in Sheffield Hallam, who thumped Nottingham 89-54 in Notts in their semi and have gone unbeaten in nine games in the BUCS Northern League.

Active in the community as well as in student hoops the Yorkshire club are probably a good model for where Edinburgh want to be and the Capital side, without the injured Michael Kirkpatrick this week, will need to be at full strength to have any chance of beating them.

Edinburgh beat UCL (University College London) 64-45 after a sticky start – they trailed 7-0 after six minutes and led 8-7 after ten – but a bright second half from Davy Rowan, who hit four three-pointers in a row, and some hard defence helped them hold off a London fightback.

Rowan top-scored with 23, Ryan Webb adding 16 and Ben Warrington 15.

Edinburgh women made heavy weather of beating Bradford 53-45, after leading 33-21 at half-time and now await the winners of Southampton or Nottingham.

They were led by Polonia quartet Kate Brown (17pts), Claire Paxton (14), Beth Mackie (9) and Hilary Wood (6).