KTUL.com - Tulsa's Channel 8 - News, Weather & SportsA Week Removed From Tragedy, OSU Women Return To Court

Just over a week since a plane crash killed two of their coaches, Oklahoma State's women's basketball team will play its first game since the tragedy, just days after a memorial service was held to honor the victims in the same arena.

The Cowgirls will host Coppin State at 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon at Gallagher-Iba Arena. It comes nine days after a plane crash that killed head coach Kurt Budke, assistant Miranda Serna and pilots and OSU alums Olin and Paula Branstetter.

Budke and Serna were on a recruiting trip to Little Rock when the plane went down in a heavily wooded area northwest of the Arkansas capital.

The victims were remembered at a ceremony at the arena on Monday in which interim coach Jim Littell remembered Budke as a boss who was also his closest friend.

He was so excited about this team," Littell said. "I think if you could ask him how you could best honor him, it would be to love and respect each other. And to win."

Oklahoma State is 1-and-0. Games last weekend against Grambling State and Texas-Arlington were cancelled in the wake of the tragedy. Saturday will be the first time the Cowgirls will play, wearing patches to honor Budke, Serna and the Branstetters.

Coppin State is 1-and-2 and hasn't played since November 18th. The two teams have played only once previously, with OSU winning 80-51 in 2009.