Can Stanford Cardinal Overcome California Golden Bears at Maples Pavilion?

As the Stanford Cardinal prepare to host the California Golden Bears at Maples Pavilion, fans are eager to see if their team can turn around a season that's been riddled with ups and downs. The upcoming clash on March 7th is more than just a game; it's an opportunity for redemption.

In their last outing on February 24th against the Oregon State Beavers, the Cardinal fell short, scoring 73 points to the Beavers' 85. Despite matching Oregon State in two-point shooting percentage (60 percent), they struggled beyond the arc, hitting only 29 percent of their three-point attempts. Moreover, turnovers were a concern as they gave up possession 11 times which translated into points for the opposition.

The game before that was no less challenging when they faced off against the Oregon Ducks on February 23rd. The Ducks' offense proved too potent for Stanford as they shot an impressive 50 percent from field goal range and an even more remarkable 48 percent from three-point land. The Cardinal managed only a meager 30 percent from deep and were out-assisted by Oregon, who had a ratio of assists to turnovers nearly double that of Stanford.

However, it wasn't all doom and gloom for STAN in recent games. When they traveled to Pullman to take on Washington State Cougars on February 17th, there were glimpses of brilliance despite falling short by a score of 59-72. They showed tenacity in defense with seven steals but again struggled with ball control committing twelve turnovers.

Looking ahead to their matchup against CAL, there are areas where STAN can capitalize. They have demonstrated consistent scoring inside the paint and if they can maintain this while tightening up their perimeter defense against CAL's shooters, there could be hope yet for this encounter.

The Golden Bears will not make it easy though; any lapse in concentration or execution by STAN will surely be punished by CAL’s capable squad. Fans should expect SCU’s players to come out with intensity especially playing at home where crowd support could give them that extra push towards victory.

With tip-off scheduled for March 7th at Maples Pavilion at precisely eight o'clock in the evening Pacific Time Zone (PT), fans won't want to miss what promises to be an enthralling battle between these two rivals. For those unable to attend in person, you can catch all the action live on ESPN Networks – make sure not miss what could potentially be one of Stanford Cardinal’s most pivotal games this season!