Cardinal Soars Above Beavers in a Show of Dominance at Maples Pavilion
The Stanford Cardinal, ranked 8th, added another victory to their impressive season with a 65-56 win over the Oregon State Beavers. The Cardinal's record now stands at an admirable 12-3, while the Beavers slide further down with a record of 6-9. The game unfolded at the iconic Maples Pavilion, where fans witnessed an intense battle that ultimately saw the home team secure their dominance.
From the opening quarter, both teams were locked in a tight contest with each side putting up 10 points. However, as the game progressed into the second quarter, Stanford began to pull away by outscoring Oregon State by six points to lead at halftime. The third quarter was where Stanford truly shone; they racked up an additional 22 points compared to Oregon State's 21. In the final period of play, despite being outscored by two points, Stanford maintained their lead and finished strong.
Stanford's performance was marked by efficient ball movement and tenacious defense. They tallied an impressive total of nine steals and thirteen assists which contributed significantly to their scoring opportunities. Their assist-to-turnover ratio stood at a remarkable 4.33 indicating superior ball handling and decision-making throughout the match.
Offensively, Stanford showcased balanced scoring inside and outside the paint with thirty-two points coming from close-range efforts complemented by eighteen from beyond the arc; six three-pointers were made from nineteen attempts resulting in a solid thirty-two percent success rate for long-distance shots.
Defensively though not registering any blocks for this game unlike Oregon State who had three blocks - Stanford capitalized on turnovers forcing thirteen on their opponents which translated into seventeen crucial points off those turnovers.
Rebounding was evenly matched between both teams with each grabbing thirty-eight boards but it was Stanford’s ability to convert eleven offensive rebounds into nine second-chance points that helped maintain pressure on Oregon State throughout all four quarters.
The Beavers fought valiantly but struggled against Stanford’s robust defense only managing one steal throughout forty minutes of play while also falling short in fast break situations scoring just two fast break points compared to ten by Cardinal players.
Oregon State did have moments where they excelled particularly in free throw accuracy achieving eighty-two percent from eleven attempts but it wasn't enough against a well-rounded performance from their hosts who managed sixty-two percent accuracy themselves albeit from fewer attempts (eight).
As fans look ahead after this hard-fought conference game they can mark their calendars for when Cardinal takes on Arizona State Sun Devils next week January twenty-sixth at Desert Financial Arena located in Tempe Arizona scheduled for five PM local time broadcasted live on Pac-12 Network ensuring supporters won’t miss any action as these two teams clash on court once again.