Oklahoma State basketball: Cowboys keep big win in perspective

The game's dominant player, freshman Marcus Smart, doing back flips on the court at Allen Fieldhouse.

But by the time the Cowboys met the media, they had calmed considerably.

“They were excited,” Ford said. “But I told them, ‘It's a good win, but it's only a win. Baylor on Wednesday.'

“But they're excited. They're excited on any win.”

Except it wasn't just any win.

Still, Ford's got a point. No need to start feeling too good now, with a Baylor team that's already beaten the Cowboys coming into Gallagher-Iba Arena.

“That's one of the biggest wins of our season,” said OSU's Le'Bryan Nash. “It was a good win. But we're still starving for some more.”

FORTE HAD BEEN THERE BEFORE

Cowboys guard Phil Forte spent his younger years in Kansas, had been to plenty of KU games and was even recruited some by the Jayhawks.

But standing on the free-throw line, with OSU's biggest win in years on the line, the crowd at The Phog roaring … that was different.

“I was trying to block it out the best I could,” Forte said. “I've never been on the free-throw line and heard noise and felt pressure like that before.”