If an upset loss to No. 14 Maryland in College Park wasn’t bad enough, the No. 5 Wisconsin men’s basketball team couldn’t even make it back to Madison without trouble Tuesday night.
The team’s charter flight that was en route back to Madison was forced to make an emergency landing in Pittsburgh due to engine malfunction around midnight last night.
It's been an eventful night. #Badgers forced to make emergency landing in Pittsburgh after engine malfunction. pic.twitter.com/T4D3ebp19k
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) February 25, 2015
Before the engine malfunction, the trip did not start off on the right foot either, as it took over an hour to simply close the cabin door on the charter plane, according Wisconsin radio color analyst Mike Lucas.
1st sign it might be eventful trip home: Took over hour to close plane's door. Overheard in cabin: 'I picked bad day to stop sniffing glue.'
— Mike Lucas (@LucasAtLarge) February 25, 2015
The team was unable to make it back to Madison last night and was “stranded” across three different Pittsburgh hotels. But most importantly, everybody appears to be safe.
Good morning – thanks for all of the well wishes and concerns. The #Badgers are safe but stranded across 3 hotels in Pittsburgh.
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) February 25, 2015
The Badgers were expected to have an off day Wednesday, but this probably isn’t how they were hoping to spend it. It is unknown when the team is expected to arrive back in Madison.
Wisconsin (25-3, 13-2 Big Ten) fell to the Terrapins Tuesday night 59-53. The Badgers made only 29.6 percent of their shots in the first half and shot only 38.5 percent overall. Wisconsin was just 6 of 22 (27.3 percent) from three for the game.
After the loss to Maryland, Wisconsin will return to the court Sunday against Michigan State at the Kohl Center. With a win, UW will clinch at least a share of the Big Ten regular season title – something it could not accomplish against the Terrapins. Tip off on Sunday is scheduled for 3 p.m.
Update: Somehow things have gotten even worse for the team and its expedition back to Madison. The team apparently has gotten another charter plane, but of course, it’s delayed in South Carolina.
But the fun doesn’t stop there. The Badgers’ bus that was supposed to take them from the hotel back to the airport…wait for it…broke down.
A simple plane ride from Maryland to Madison is turning into a nightmare.
Update from Pittsburgh: Think we have a plane but it's delayed in S.C. Thought we had a bus to airport but it broke down. Of course it did.
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) February 25, 2015
