College basketball team uses pizza boxes to dig out bus stranded on road because of blizzard
Sometimes, it doesn’t pay to be proactive.
The Duquesne basketball team’s game at George Mason in Virginia was scheduled for Saturday, but the game was moved to Friday afternoon so the Dukes could avoid the impending blizzard that raked the East Coast.
Unfortunately, Duquesne didn’t make it back home to Pittsburgh before the storm hit on Friday night.
The Dukes were forced to spend the night on their team bus on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
.@DuqMBB traveling safely | of course it's hard not to be safe when your bus hasn't moved in 4 hours #stuck #PATurnpike
— Duquesne Athletics (@GoDuquesne) January 23, 2016
The team did its best to occupy the time, playing games from charades to Survivor:
#DUQMBB stuck in traffic on the PA Turnpike. Manager Alex Kwong keeping the Dukes entertained with charades pic.twitter.com/qahihkUQE8
— Duquesne Basketball (@DuqMBB) January 23, 2016
Nick Foschia: known for three-pointer celebrations, Cleveland sports knowledge, and now snow angels #DUQSurvivor pic.twitter.com/o3g4OgyAhe
— Duquesne Basketball (@DuqMBB) January 23, 2016
Desperate times call for desperate measures. #DUQMBB must vote someone off the bus. Who should it be? #DUQSurvivor
— Duquesne Basketball (@DuqMBB) January 23, 2016
6 hours. Same spot. @PA_Turnpike pic.twitter.com/DPguGYhfrQ
— Duquesne Basketball (@DuqMBB) January 23, 2016
After a while, coach Jim Ferry did some interviews with multiple outlets:
As we approach 12 hours stuck on the Turnpike, Coach Ferry will appear on @SportsCenter at roughly 9am.
— Duquesne Basketball (@DuqMBB) January 23, 2016
Coach Ferry will also appear on @WPXI right now. Tune in!
— Duquesne Basketball (@DuqMBB) January 23, 2016
On Saturday morning, reinforcements arrived for the people on the bus, while others searched for food. The desire for pizza would play a huge role hours later:
Walking to HOPEFULLY have dominos drop off pizza from an overpass. 3/4 mile in 2+ feet of snow pic.twitter.com/tMfuT1d89K
— Duquesne Equipment (@DuqEquipment) January 23, 2016
National Guard and the local Fire Dept arrived with a case of water pic.twitter.com/XMLN1llfFo
— Duquesne Equipment (@DuqEquipment) January 23, 2016
With bus still stuck, Joel and Scott drove a vehicle to nearby Bedford grocery store to help #DUQMBB load up on hot food and snacks
— Duquesne Basketball (@DuqMBB) January 23, 2016
By Saturday afternoon, the team feared it would spend another night on the Turnpike, but there was some good news.
It is becoming increasingly unlikely that #DUQMBB will be able to leave the Turnpike tonight. Preparing for another night on the bus.
— Duquesne Basketball (@DuqMBB) January 23, 2016
.@DuqMBB sensing a chance to move | whole team off and into snow removal mode | pizza boxes make great shovels! pic.twitter.com/ebb2KOEXDj
— Duquesne Athletics (@GoDuquesne) January 24, 2016
We have now reached 24 total hours on the bus. Jack Bauer has not yet rescued #DUQMBB pic.twitter.com/i9EXMTMKn6
— Duquesne Basketball (@DuqMBB) January 23, 2016
After 22 hours, the players were more than happy to use those pizza boxes to dig out the bus and then to push the bus. They got it going and were thrilled to be moving again:
We're coming home @iamdiddy pic.twitter.com/4bIlweUlUA
— Duquesne Basketball (@DuqMBB) January 24, 2016
Duquesne was not alone. The Temple gymnastics team is also stranded on the Pennsylvania Turnpike as well as a group of middle school students:
We're not in this alone! Dukes hanging out with middle schoolers from Iowa on the bus stuck next to us pic.twitter.com/8vBWa1x68c
— Duquesne Basketball (@DuqMBB) January 23, 2016
13 hours in this spot on the way to Pitt.Safe to say we'd be happy to move any day now. Disney movies to the rescue! pic.twitter.com/tdkon22P0R
— TEMPLE GYMNASTICS (@TUWG) January 23, 2016
New Baltimore FD has stopped by with a case of water pic.twitter.com/3J4z8bD0ll
— Mike Watts (@MWatts08) January 23, 2016
Some of the coaches and gymnasts playing Uno to pass the time. Going on hour 22 of being on the bus. #TUGvsJonas pic.twitter.com/T03Q3oQAhT
— Mike Watts (@MWatts08) January 23, 2016
We've hit the 24 hour mark on the bus! Still stuck out here on the @PA_Turnpike but staying warm and positive #Snowzilla
— TEMPLE GYMNASTICS (@TUWG) January 23, 2016
Word of Duquesne’s success in moving on the Turnpike gave hope to the Temple gymnasts:
Hearing that @DuqMBB has moved and thinking that we might be next... pic.twitter.com/sw1bwqJ080
— TEMPLE GYMNASTICS (@TUWG) January 24, 2016
Eventually, their time came as well.
Is that road?!! pic.twitter.com/ywDPslI4bK
— TEMPLE GYMNASTICS (@TUWG) January 24, 2016
#TUG is on the move after more than 24 hours! *tears of joy pic.twitter.com/LGCGoBVL8e
— TEMPLE GYMNASTICS (@TUWG) January 24, 2016
Pete Grathoff: 816-234-4330, @pgrathoff
This story was originally published January 23, 2016 at 3:28 PM.