Flowers decorate the memorial in Gallagher-Iba Arena prior to the start of yesterday's men's game in in Stillwater, Okla. BRODY SCHMIDT/ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Oklahoma State men's and women's teams took to the court yesterday, six years to the day after a plane crash killed 10 men's program members.

By MURRAY EVANS

Date published: 1/28/2007

By MURRAY EVANS

ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

STILLWATER, Okla.--Every time he visits Gallagher-Iba Arena for an Oklahoma State basketball game, Jim Perry has a ritual.

As he enters and exits the arena, Perry stops at a memorial in the lobby to look at a photo of his nephew, Will Hancock, one of 10 men associated with the Cowboys' basketball program who died in a Jan. 27, 2001, plane crash in Colorado.

"I always make sure to share that time with Will," Perry said.

Before and after Oklahoma State games, it's not uncommon to see fans stop at the memorial and ponder. But yesterday's games--the Cowgirls hosted Baylor in an afternoon contest before the Cowboys played Iowa State--brought more than the usual number of visitors, as it was the first time either of Oklahoma State's teams had played on a Jan. 27 since the crash.

That is partly due to the calendar--Jan. 27 hasn't fallen on a Saturday since 2001--but it's also because Big 12 Conference officials had not scheduled Oklahoma State to play on that date in the years after the crash.

Before scheduling yesterday's men's game, league officials broached the subject with Oklahoma State officials.

The tragedy touched the Big 12 at the highest levels, as one of the crash victims, Jared Weiberg, was the nephew of league commissioner Kevin Weiberg.

"OSU said it was comfortable playing on the 27th, provided they were able to play at home," Big 12 spokesman Bob Burda said.

The crash occurred after the Cowboys had played at Colorado. The plane had taken off from the Jefferson County Airport outside Boulder, Colo., after the game and crashed a short time later about 40 miles east of Denver in a snow-covered pasture near the town of Strasburg.

Killed in the crash were players Daniel Lawson and Nate Fleming, director of basketball operations Pat Noyes, publicist Hancock, trainer Brian Luinstra, manager Weiberg, play-by-play announcer Bill Teegins, radio engineer Kendall Durfey and pilots Denver Mills and Bjorn Fahlstrom.

The university, as it has in recent years, chose to take a low-key approach to commemorating the crash anniversary. After consulting with victims' family members, Oklahoma State decided not to hold a formal memorial service.

Date published: 1/28/2007