GCU's basketball gear gets left behind in Phoenix ahead of team's NCAA Tournament appearance

GCU makes second March Madness appearance as 14th seed

The Grand Canyon University Antelopes are officially in March Madness as the 14th seed and while theyre facing a tough opponent this week, the students are bursting with excitement.

PHOENIX - Grand Canyon University's run in the NCAA Tournament is off to a bit of a rough start.

School officials say some of the team's baggage, including practice gear, shoes, and equipment, were not loaded onto the plane by ground crew Wednesday morning in Phoenix.

As a result, 12 bags of gear are en route to Denver.

In the meantime, GCU says staff members are buying shoes and other gear at a Denver-area Nike store ahead of today's practice.

Additionally, Scott Drew, the head coach of Baylor's men's basketball team and brother of GCU head coach, Bryce, has offered up some of his team's equipment.

"Unsure at this time exactly what the mix will look like at our practice today between newly purchased items in Denver, anything that may have made the flight, or any loaned gear from Baylor," a GCU official said.

The Lopes face off against Gonzaga on March 17 in a West region first-round matchup of the Big Dance. GCU qualified for the tournament by winning the Western Athletic Conference tournament championship.