STILLWATER — Phil Forte, in all his scrappy splendor, dove to the floor against Towson, extending his left arm in a reach for a loose ball.
Tigers 6-foot-6, 225-pound forward Arnauld William Adala Moto dove, too, landing on Forte's outstretched arm, leaving the little Cowboys guard grimacing and grasping his hyperextended elbow in pain.
A seemingly benign situation at the time, it could go down as a defining moment in this season.
For Oklahoma State.
And for Forte.
The Cowboys, bent on outperforming modest outside expectations, need wins. And they figure to need Forte to maximize their wins.