Can the Cardinal Bounce Back After a Tough Encounter at Maples Pavilion?
The Stanford Cardinal faced a challenging opponent in the Washington State Cougars, culminating in an 89-75 defeat. The Cardinal's season record now stands at an unmentioned number of victories and defeats, while the Cougars improved their tally with this recent win. The game unfolded at Stanford's home court, Maples Pavilion, where fans witnessed a high-scoring affair.
The Cardinal started off trailing with 29 points to the Cougars' 42 by halftime. Despite a valiant effort to close the gap, scoring 46 points in the second half against their opponents' 47, it wasn't enough to secure victory. The team's shooting accuracy was commendable; they achieved a field goal percentage of fifty-two and were particularly impressive from beyond the arc with fifty-seven percent three-point shooting.
Stanford’s free throw performance was outstanding as they made eighty-seven percent of their attempts from the line. However, ball handling proved problematic for them as they turned over possession seventeen times throughout the game. This contrasted sharply with their rivals who only lost control nine times.
The home team managed eight fast break points and capitalized on seven points off turnovers but struggled to dominate inside, scoring twenty-eight points in paint compared to Washington State’s fifty-eight. On defense, Stanford blocked three shots and made four steals but could not match up to Washington State’s five blocks and eight steals.
One area where Stanford outperformed was assists; they recorded fourteen assists over Washington State's twelve but had a lower assist-to-turnover ratio of 0.82 against 1.5 for their opponents.
Rebounding also told part of tonight's story; while both teams fought hard under the boards, it was Washington State that came out on top with thirty-four rebounds against twenty-eight by Stanford – including twenty-four defensive rebounds for Washington State which limited second-chance opportunities for Stanford.
Looking ahead after tonight’s contest at Maples Pavilion – which saw an attendance of two thousand eight hundred fifty-five spectators – fans can mark their calendars for another exciting matchup when Stanford hosts its next game against the Washington Huskies on January 20th at six o'clock PM Pacific Time back here at Maples Pavilion in California. This upcoming conference game will be broadcast live on Pac-12 Network for those unable to attend in person.