UConn's Final Four takes off for Phoenix after plane problems caused delays

STORRS, Conn. (AP) — Defending national champion UConn had a tough time getting going on its way to The last four.

The Huskies finally took off from Bradley International Airport near Hartford at about 1:30 a.m. EST Thursday after the plane they were supposed to experienced mechanical issues to get to the East Coast. After the five-hour flight, the team was expected to arrive at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix around 3:30 a.m. EST.

The flight was originally scheduled to depart Wednesday at around 6 p.m. EST, but a mechanical issue prevented the plane it was supposed to use from arriving at Bradley, the school said.

The NCAA said in a statement that it worked with UConn and a charter company to develop several alternatives.

“We are very disappointed that UConn will arrive later than expected and it is unfortunate that the team’s travel experience has been affected,” the NCAA said.

The organization said it expected the delayed flight to depart at 11:30 p.m. EST, but at 1 a.m., coach Dan Hurley spoke to social media. To say that the plane did not take off.

The travel issues were first reported by CBS Sports, which was informed of the issue by coach Dan Hurley.

The Huskies haven't been on a plane since their game with Marquette on March 6, when they had to spend an extra day in Milwaukee due to a flight cancellation.

The Huskies took the buses to the Big East Tournament in Manhattan, the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament in Brooklyn and the East Regional in Boston.

No. 1 seed UConn (35-3) is scheduled to play fourth-seeded Alabama (25-11) on Saturday night.

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket And coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness