Poinbank Exchange|UConn men delayed in Connecticut ahead of Final Four because of plane issues

STORRS,Poinbank Exchange Conn. (AP) — Defending national champion UConn’s trip to a second consecutive Final Four is having a tough time getting off the ground.

The Huskies were still in Connecticut Wednesday night after the plane they were supposed to take to Arizona experienced mechanical issues getting to the East Coast.

The flight was scheduled to leave at about 6 p.m. Eastern time from Bradley International Airport near Hartford, but a mechanical issue kept the plane they were 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, and the Huskies are expected to be in the air by about 11:30 p.m. and land in Phoenix around 1:30 a.m. local time.

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

The team was back on campus, about 50 minutes from the airport, waiting for the issue to be resolved, a school spokesman said.

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

The Huskies have not been on a plane since just after their March 6 game with Marquette, when they had to spend an extra day in Milwaukee because of a cancelled flight.

The Huskies took 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