The 13th-ranked Butler Bulldogs were upset by the St. John’s Red Storm, 76-73, on Thursday night, and then they got a serious scare during their flight back to Indianapolis.
“Our plane experienced some cabin pressure issues this evening,” Butler basketball tweeted. “We were diverted and have landed safely in Pittsburgh. All is well.”
Apparently, things got a bit more serious than just “cabin pressure issues,” however. Head coach Chris Holtmann shared some of the frightening details with ESPN, revealing that players were yelling and staff members were texting their families.
“It started to get really cold and the plane went completely dark. Then all the oxygen masks came flying down, and the flight attendant told everyone to put the masks on. She kept repeating it. We had a really rapid descent. In the span of 10 or 12 minutes, we went from 35,000 feet to 10,000 feet.”
“I was shook. It was scary. We had guys crying.”
So, how is the team getting back to Indy after spending Thursday night in Pittsburgh? On a bus, after their plan to fly back Friday ran into some logistical complications.
The Bulldogs are off until Sunday when they host Providence, and they won’t have to get back on a plane until they face Georgetown on Jan. 7 — a flight that surely will feature plenty of nerves before and during.