Can the Cougars Claw Back After a Tough Encounter at Maples Pavilion?
The Washington State Cougars faced a challenging contest against the Stanford Cardinal, culminating in a 65-74 defeat. The Cougars' season record now stands at an unranked position, while the Cardinal boasts an impressive rank of 8. Despite a valiant effort, including outscoring their opponents in the second quarter with 23 points to Stanford's 16, it wasn't enough to secure victory.
The game was held at Maples Pavilion in front of an audience of 3,084 spectators. The Washington State team showed resilience throughout the match, tying the score four times and witnessing twelve lead changes. However, Stanford's consistent performance across all quarters and superior shooting accuracy proved decisive.
Washington State's offensive efforts were notable with a field goal percentage of 41 and three-point shooting at an impressive rate of 45 percent. They managed to convert nine out of twenty attempts from beyond the arc. In contrast, their two-point attempts had a lower success rate with only seventeen baskets made from forty-three attempts resulting in a modest forty percent conversion rate.
Defensively, Washington State struggled to contain Stanford's attack which resulted in thirty points conceded in paint compared to their own twenty-two. Moreover, they were outrebounded by fifteen rebounds overall with just twenty-eight rebounds against Stanford’s forty-three.
On individual performances for Washington State Cougars: they saw contributions across the board with fourteen assists reflecting their collaborative play style; however turnovers were an issue as they gave up possession fourteen times during play. Their defense managed three steals and one block but this was overshadowed by Stanford’s five blocks and six steals.
Looking ahead for fans of Washington State Cougars: The team will be visiting Haas Pavilion to face off against California Golden Bears on January 7th at noon local time (3 PM Eastern Time). This encounter promises another exciting chapter for Cougar basketball which can be followed live from Berkeley or watched on sports networks covering college basketball games.