Stanford Cardinal guard Ebuka Okorie (1) brings the ball up the floor against the Montana Grizzlies at Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto on Sat Nov 8, 2025 (Stanford Cardinal photo)
By Michael Roberson
STANFORD, Calif. — The Stanford Cardinal (2-0) held back the Montana Grizzlies (2-1) 91-68, inside the friendly confines of Maples Pavilion.
Stanford got off to a great start, with a 9-0 run from the opening tip-off. Freshman sensation Ebuka Okorie was the catalyst for the home team’s initial burst. He performed a steal, then converted that into a fastbreak layup, putting the Cardinal up 2-0.
Okorie would add another steal and six more points to his early production before the midway break in action. Stanford led by nine almost immediately, but the Grizzlies did claw their way back into contention.
As a matter of fact, Montana had a 5-0 run of their own, and had a chance to take their only lead with a layup attempt. Unfortunately for the visiting bears, a 5-point turnaround occurred. As the Cardinal defense caused a turnover, they parlayed that into a dagger 3 by senior guard Jeremy Dent-Smith.
The Grizzlies continued to fight back, despite that early setback. Although Stanford led by as many as 11 points, Montana was able to reduce the deficit to single digits several times. When the recess bell rang, the Cardinal was ahead by 10 points, 35-25.
Neither squad had a player in double-figures. Although Okorie’s 8 points and 2 steals were impressive for the Cardinal. Two players from Montana also amassed 8 points. Senior guard Te’Jon Sawyer tallied 8 points and 5 rebounds, while teammate and junior guard Brooklyn Hicks also chipped in his eight for good measure.
Stanford came out in the second half with vigor and an attitude to completely take over the contest. Multiple players from both sides achieved the 10+ points benchmark.
The Cardinal opened up a lead as high as late in the second half, but the Grizzlies kept competing. Although the game was out of hand, Montana did show effort, as they performed a 7-0 run in the last minutes of the game. Their field goal percentage from 2 & 3 was improved in the second half.
Stanford’s numbers were also better in the second stanza. Especially from beyond the arc. Although both teams rebounded at the same clip, turnovers were the determining factors. The Cardinal forced 20 turnovers, while committing 5 of their own. They also generated 14 steals and 6 blocks against their opponent. The +/- numbers were like a Math problem: Stanford (+23) compared to Montana’s (-23) .
With all the number crunching, Stanford managed to win by 23 points, 91-68. They lead from wire to wire, and had only one moment when that could have changed to a different scenario.
Four players for the Cardinal reached double-digits scoring. Freshman Phenom Ebuka Okorie led everyone with 29 points, 4 rebounds and 4 steals. Senior guard Benny Gealer put up 13 points, while redshirt-sophomore Aidan Camman and senior AJ Rohosy both contributed 12 points.
Montana also presented four players 10+ points. Money Williams led with 19 points and 7 rebounds, and the other three, Brooklyn Hicks (13), Te’Jon Sawyer (12) and Kenyon Aguino (12) did their part.
Stanford will next be in action Wednesday, November 12 at Maples, hosting the Montana State Bobcats at 7 PM PT on ACC Extra. Montana heads down to Sin City to take on UNLV Tuesday, November 11 at 7 PM PT.
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