OSU is still haunted by plane crash

Victoria Sun

Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2001 | 11:08 a.m.

The words, "We Will Remember January 27, 2001" are etched on the second and third pages of the Oklahoma State men's basketball media guide -- along with pictures of those they will never forget.

"We ain't taking nothing for granted any more," Cowboys guard Maurice Baker said after the team's 83-57 victory over Providence at Valley High School in the second round of the Las Vegas Tournament on Monday night. "Every time we're together we're just thinking about those guys that passed.

"So we will always remember them and the season is for them."

They are the 10 members of the Oklahoma State basketball family, including players Daniel Lawson and Nate Fleming, who were killed when their plane crashed in a snowstorm near Denver on its way back from a game in Colorado.

It wasn't until after five days of mourning that head coach Eddie Sutton became certain his team would be able to finish the season after the tragedy.

The Cowboys pulled together to compile a 20-10 record, 10-6 in the Big 12, to earn a trip to the NCAA Tournament, where they lost in the first round to USC.

"I thought our team displayed a lot of class and character," Sutton said. "I think they're stronger people today than ... before the accident."

Already, Oklahoma State is playing with plenty of emotion and giving its fans even more to cheer about.

After a 69-62 victory over Cincinnati last Friday, the Cowboys moved up in the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll from 18th to 16th, the team's highest national ranking since it was 14th at the end of the 1999-2000 season.

They followed by pounding Austin Peay, 81-58, at home the next day in the first round of the Las Vegas Tournament, then tamed Providence in an ugly game in which five players fouled out and 87 free throws were attempted.

The Cowboys are now 3-0 and the Friars 1-1.

"I think this game said a lot," Oklahoma State center Frederik Jonzen said. "Everybody contributed. Even though we fouled a lot and made a lot of dumb mistakes, we still beat them by 18 and that's something we've got to build on.

"We know that in order to stay in the Top 25 we've got to keep on winning."

In the third round of the tournament today, Oklahoma State takes on Siena at 5 p.m., followed by TCU vs. UTEP at 7:30. In today's early games, Ark.-Monticello played Northwestern State and Providence met Austin Peay.

Jonzen and Baker, the Big 12 newcomer of the year and preseason Wooden Award candidate, were instrumental in Oklahoma State's win.

Although Jonzen struggled to find a rhythm offensively because of the stop-and-go nature of the game, he still made 5 of 6 shots for 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

Baker, a former UNLV recruit who transferred to Oklahoma State from Dixie Junior College, led all scorers with 20 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out three assists.

But they weren't the only ones causing a stir among the 200 or so Cowboys fans who made the trip here.

Guard Victor Williams made 10 of 11 free throws for 17 points and newcomers Cheyne Gadson and Ivan McFarlan also made some heady plays.

"One of our strengths this year probably is our bench," Sutton said. "I'd say it's the deepest team we've had here.

"I've been here 12 years, I think we have more bench potential than we've had before."

Before the plane crash, Jonzen recalled, the whole team was close and relied on each other for support.

"It's tough at times," Jonzen said. "But we're on this earth to play basketball.

"That's what we try to focus on."

Not a day goes by that Jonzen, his teammates and coaches don't think about the crash victims.

And they will continue to honor them the best way they know how -- by winning basketball games.

In other second-round tournament games on Monday:

Austin Peay's final point came on a free throw by Josh Lewis with 4:53 remaining, cutting Siena's lead to 47-44. The Governors (0-2) wouldn't score again.

The Saints (1-1) held Austin Peay to five field goal attempts after Lewis' foul shot -- all by Nick Stapleton, who led the Governors with 17 points.

Andy Cavo added 11 points and Justin Miller and Mark Price scored 10 points each for Siena, and Price had five assists.

Siena led 29-28 at halftime. Lewis, who had nine points and eight rebounds, made a layup in the opening minute of the second half to give Austin Peay its final lead. The Saints went ahead for good on a layup by Price.

Austin Peay led by as many as nine points in the first half.

Santee made 10 of 17 shots and all four free throws he attempted in the one-sided game.

James Davis added 19 points and Bingo Merriex had 18 points and 10 rebounds as TCU (2-0) scored the game's first five points in leading all the way.

Dennis Harris and Raymond Wardy scored 16 points each for Arkansas-Monticello (0-2). Harris also had 15 rebounds.

The Boll Weevils cut TCU's lead to two points twice before the Horned Frogs went on a 25-7 run for a 37-17 lead. It was 47-28 at halftime.

Alan Polk led Northwestern with 12 points.

UTEP (2-0) took the lead for good, 48-46, on Smallwood's 10-foot jumper in the lane with 6:49 left in the game.

The Demons (0-3) cut the lead to one point on two occasions after that, but it was the Miners' free-throw shooting in the final moments that made the difference.