Stranded Duquesne basketball team finally gets bus moving again
The Duquesne men’s basketball team had been stranded on the Pennsylvania Turnpike for nearly 24 hours Saturday when word came the Dukes are likely headed for another long, night on the team bus thanks to the blizzard that has paralyzed much of the East Coast.
But a few hours later, the team took matters into its hands digging out the bus and pushing it to freedom.
The team became stuck along with many other travelers while returning from Fairfax, Va. to Pittsburgh at approximately 9:15 p.m. on Friday night following its game at George Mason. And the bus still hadn’t moved when daylight started to fade Saturday afternoon.
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The Duquesne equipment Twitter account and the team’s official account provided periodic updates on the status of the roads and what the players and coaches did to get through the ordeal. It reported Saturday afternoon the team was told by the Pennsylvania Depratment of Transportation that the road probably wouldn’t be open Saturday night.
At least Duquesne won its game 86-75 at George Mason. A loss on the road would have made what came next even more difficult to handle.
The Dukes headed home on the team bus after the game driving through the blizzard that has overwhelmed road crews and other state services dumping more than 30 inches of snow in some places. The game was actually moved from Saturday to Friday afternoon in hopes of avoiding the storm and situations exactly like this.
A nearby fire department made its way out on the highway to deliver bottled water to those who were stuck Saturday morning and also to check on the welfare of all the stranded motorists, truck dirvers and bus passengers. The Dukes seemed to be taking the right approach by having fun with their misfortune.
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Duquesne head coach Jim Ferry did a phone intereview with ESPN in which he said everyone on the team was fine and doing well. He said the team ate immediately after the game and then stopped for food again along the drive home.
“We’ve got a good group of guys and we all kind of hung out and had a good time with each other, watched a movie,” Ferry told ESPN. “Guys were goofing and laughing on their phones and hours turned into hours and hours and hours. The next thing you know, it’s been through the night and 12 hours sitting in the same exact spot. We’re dealing with it. We’re going to be OK.”
Later Saturday morning, some members of the Duquesne party decided to brave the snow and go on a hike for an unconventional connection with a pizza delivery person. Let’s hope they got the food for free or at least at a discounted rate.
And finally
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[Kyle Ringo is the assistant editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @KyleRingo
