Bobcats react to Oklahoma State plane crash that killed 10

by Anthony Castrovince
Staff Writer

The news about the crash of a twin-engine plane that killed 10 people, including two members of Oklahoma State's basketball team, no doubt affected college teams across the nation.

Ohio was no exception.

The Bobcats were at a hotel in Buffalo when news of the deaths broke.

"We were in the hotel's restaurant when we heard about it," guard Dustin Ford said. "We were kind of surprised. We went back to the room and put on SportsCenter to hear all about it."

Ford said none of the Bobcats were afraid when traveling back to Athens from Buffalo, but he thinks about the dangers of extensive travel during the season.

"Every time I get on a plane, I think about that," he said. "As a fellow athlete, it's a shame to see that happen."

Coach Larry Hunter said his wife informed him of the crash after he returned from Buffalo. The news shook him.

"It just makes the bottom fall out of your stomach," he said. "It's hard to put into words. You just feel for those people involved, their families and Oklahoma State University."

The private, propeller-driven aircraft was a Beechcraft King Air 200. Hunter said Ohio does travel with similar planes, but they are consistently up to safety standards.

"We do travel with the King Airs and smaller planes," he said. "In fact, those might be some of the safer planes."

Terry Don Phillips, Oklahoma State's athletic director, has defended the safety of the plane and the pilot who crashed it. The National Transportation Safety Board still was investigating the cause of the accident.

Flomo wins award

Ohio center Patrick Flomo was named the Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week for the second time this season.

Flomo, who is averaging 8.2 points and 3.8 blocks per game this season, was impressive in victories against Northern Illinois and Buffalo last week.

In the 91-63 victory against the Huskies on Jan. 16, Flomo scored 14 points, swatted two shots and grabbed six boards. Against the Bulls, he again scored 14, blocked six shots and pulled in five rebounds to lead the Bobcats to an 83-66 win. He hit 10 of 10 shots from the field and 8 of 9 free throws in the two games.

Hunter said Flomo has been a model of consistency this season.

"He really has been consistent all year long," he said. "He's made a 180-degree turnaround (since last season) in so many areas, both on and off the court – his concentration, his energy level, his focus. He's just more into basketball."

Hunter said Flomo always puts the team first.

"He's very humble," he said. "He just wants to help the team win, and he's maintained that approach."

Flomo's other Player of the Week honor came the week of Dec. 25, when he averaged 19 points and 10.5 rebounds in wins against West Virginia and Oakland.