ON THE ROAD (THIRD INSTALLMENT)
11/29/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 29, 2004
SOMEWHERE IN NORTHERN COLORADO - Day 5
We have just made it back to Denver and await the airplane flight back to sweet, warm Arlington.
It was a hectic morning. No one received a wake-up call from the front desk of the hotel and when we woke up, the snow had accumulated overnight to the point the coaches wanted up and out in 30 minutes. As I took a shower I could hear doors opening and shutting up and down the wing as players scurried to get dressed and packed.
We take off from Laramie at 7:40 a.m. and begin our 129-mile trek to Denver for our 1 p.m. flight.
The trip from Laramie to Denver was a nerve-wracking one. We left Laramie with temperatures in the teens and blowing snow. We saw numerous accidents along the way. Cattle walked the fence line trying to find their next meal in a blanket of snow that was knee deep for them. Our bus driver, Mr. Will, told us once we got to Fort Collins that it was some of the worst driving he had experienced in a long time and thought the road to Laramie would likely be closed by afternoon.
We had a close call with a snow plow and an 18-wheeler. The plow ran by us, tossing snow on the windshield and blinding us for what seemed about 10 seconds, but was probably two or three. Just then lights from an 18-wheeler roared right past us. Coach looked back, eyes as big as saucers, and we all took a deep breath.
In Denver I noticed all flights to Telluride, a popular ski resort town in western Colorado had been canceled along with flights to Cheyenne, Wyo. I just found out there has been a plane crash in Telluride. I'll admit the thought of the Oklahoma State basketball team plane crash has crossed my mind today.
We get to the airport, check in, and begin to think about food for the first time today. Everyone breaks for the food court for a quick bit since boarding is in 20 minutes. As I mentioned before, when in doubt, go McDonalds.
With a day to digest the loss to Wyoming, I think a fan would have loved the game. It was nip-and-tuck down the stretch. Wyoming led by one, 74-73, in the final 2:30 of the game before breaking the game open and winning 86-79. They were a much bigger team with a 7-footer, 6-10 and 6-9 on the front line. They had a veteran backcourt and I think will probably go to the postseason later ths year. That said, it was a good road trip for the 'Lil Mavs. We will see if they have taken their game to the next level Tuesday when they face Texas Wesleyan.
See you in a couple of weeks when the Mavs travel to Austin to face Texas and later this month for a trip to Tampa and South Florida.
(Bill Petitt, Asst.A.D. for Marketing and Sorts Information, chronicles the road trips of the UTA men's basketball team during the 2004-05 season)
