THE all-conquering women's basketball team have become the first Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) Cheshire side to make it to a British Universities Sports Association (BUSA) final since 2001.
The talented team, based at Alsager's Hassall Road campus, travelled to the capital to take on London Metropolitan. With captain Rhian Dorricott injured, Kate Cram took the game by the scruff of the neck early on, notching a number of baskets.
A close game was fought out but, under the leadership of coach Silvia Gottardi, the Cheshire team pulled ahead to finish 106-84 winners.
They remain undefeated and will face Strathclyde at the English Institute of Sport, in Sheffield, in the final.
Meanwhile, the men's football first team played at Greenwich in their last-16 game. Captain Murray McCulloch fired them into an early lead, and substitute JJ O'Neill added a second after the hour.
The 3-0 result was sealed late on, with man-of-the-match Marco Marini beating a defender and firing a left-footed shot into the top corner.
They face Loughborough in the quarter-finals.
The men's football second team entertained Birmingham at Alsager, and overcame their rivals with a cracking 3-0 victory.
Goals from Mike Mills, Tom Broad-bent and Andy Gray earned a semi-final berth, yet to be arranged, while a penalty save from goalkeeper Rich Mc-Donald kept Birmingham at bay.
