UALR is scheduled to play at 5 p.m. (Central) on Friday against Jacksonville State in the BVI Tropical Shootout in Road Town, Tortola.
The Trojans were supposed to spend all day Wednesday traveling, practice and experience the island on Thursday and then play on Friday. But Delta Airline delays left the team stranded in Atlanta Wednesday night.
UALR players had a 3:30 a.m. wakeup call for a 4:10 a.m. bus to Little Rock National Airport. Their flight was supposed to depart for Atlanta at 6 a.m. With the traveling party of 24 sitting on the plane, a delay announcement was made. Then another. Then another. Then they were deplaned.
The new schedule had them arriving in Atlanta at 10:08 a.m., about 25 minutes after their flight from Atlanta to San Juan, Puerto Rico was scheduled to depart. But Delta wouldn't hold that flight and UALR missed it.
There was another flight to San Juan, but it was full and UALR couldn't board. However, Delta put their baggage on that flight. Therefore, all the bags, uniforms, etc., all went to Puerto Rico without them.
So they'll stay in Atlanta tonight with only the clothes on their backs. And they'll fly to San Juan on separate airplanes. Eventually, they'll fly, again on different planes, from San Juan to Tortola. One group will arrive at 5:40 p.m. The other group arrives at 8:40 p.m.
The one, and maybe only, silver lining is that the Atlanta Hawks are hosting the Sacramento Kings tonight and they'll be going. Not exactly a consolation but at least it will pass the time.
