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Littell Leads OSU on Journey to Remember
Published: 3/31/2012 5:44 PM
Last Modified: 4/11/2012 11:26 AM


Jim Littell. JAMES GIBBARD/Tulsa World

Oklahoma State women’s basketball coach Jim Littell never had a chance to step back and take time for himself.

After OSU coach Kurt Budke, his boss and best friend, died in a plane crash last November, Littell had family, friends and a team to worry about.

He had to be there for everyone.

On Saturday, it seemed like everyone was there to help Littell through one more game.

There were moments when it appeared Oklahoma State might be struggling down the stretch against James Madison on Saturday at Gallagher-Iba Arena.

Every time the Cowgirls started the stumble they seemed to get a burst of energy from over 6,000 fans who roared their support.

OSU held on for a 75-68 victory over James Madison to win the Women’s National Invitation Tournament.

Finally, after a season of emotional highs and lows, the Cowgirls had finished the season the way Budkey would have loved.

Littell should get a lot of credit for the way he not only coached this team, and he did a superb job, but how he also guided his players through a horrible tragedy.

Littell’s coaching helped the OSU women’s team write the perfect ending to one of the great feel-good stories in sports this year.

There were plenty of tears. It appeared the emotions of the plane crash, a long season and one last run to the WNIT title had finally hit home.

Littell deserves a lot of credit for what he did to coach OSU to the WNIT title.

What he did for those players, families and friends was even more important.



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Klein's Korner

Tulsa World senior sports columnist John Klein is in his fourth decade of covering sports. He started his newspaper career at The Daily Ardmoreite in 1977 and moved to the Tulsa World in 1978. He served 10 years as sports editor for the Tulsa World before being named to his current position in 2005. He also spent five years as the Southwest Conference beat writer for the Houston Post. He has won many writing awards and is a former Oklahoma Sports Writer of the Year.

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