Ford Appreciates Fans

By John Helsley

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At first glance, the crowd of 5,342 inside Gallagher-Iba Arena for OSU’s NIT opener against Harvard might seem disappointing.

Cowboys coach Travis Ford was thrilled.

Consider the challenges the school faced in selling the game:

* Spring Break virtually eliminated the student faction, with the campus a ghost town.

* The athletic department was dealing with a short turnaround for sales, with the announcement of the game coming late Sunday night and the game set for Tuesday.

* The weather outside was absolutely perfect – pleasant and calm. Who wanted to be indoors?

during a first round NIT college basketball game between Oklahoma State University (OSU) and Harvard at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla., Tuesday, March 15, 2011. Photo by Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman

Oklahoma State's Marshall Moses (33) and Oklahoma State's Keiton Page (12) celebrate during a first round NIT college basketball game between Oklahoma State University (OSU) and Harvard at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla., Tuesday, March 15, 2011. Photo by Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman

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