WPC Knights Score Wins Over Weather, Roads
PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Warner Pacific men's and women's basketball teams both lost difficult games at Eastern Oregon on Saturday, but scored a victory over the weather and road conditions by arriving back home in Portland around 5 a.m. on Sunday.
With the hazardous weather conditions, the game times were moved up to 1 and 3 p.m. so the teams would have a better chance of beating the approaching winter storm. However, an hour after the team bus left LaGrande, the Knights received word that the Columbia Gorge was closed from Hood River to Portland.
With motels already filling up and the prospect of spending a couple more nights out on this long road trip, a decision was made to find an alternate route home. The bus headed south on US 97 at Biggs Junction. Driving through a blizzard, the Knights made their way down to Madras, where they caught US 6 north. The snow continued up to Government Camp, when things actually got worse, turning to freezing rain. Although a slow go, the driver safely steered the team down the mountain and into Portland, arriving on campus about 5 a.m. On the round trip to Caldwell, Idaho, LaGrande, and home, the teams spent a total of 27 hours on the bus.
Although the game results were not as hoped, players and coaches were grateful to be home safely and looking forward to some time off and a white Christmas!