Ebuka Okorie Leads Cardinal Past Grizzlies

Mar 13, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Stanford Cardinal head coach Kyle Smith during the first half against the Louisville Cardinals at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

On Saturday afternoon, the Stanford Cardinal took on the Montana Grizzlies in a non-conference battle. Coming into the game, Stanford were favorites, but not by as much as expected, thanks to Montana’s tournament status from the year prior. To add, the Grizzlies came in as the favorites to win the Big Sky conference.

Both teams entered undefeated, with the Cardinal sitting at 1-0, and the Grizzlies at 2-0, but that would change for one team on Saturday.

Stanford got right to work, going on a 9-0 run to open the game. They stayed strong throughout the entire first half, and although that lead dropped to as little as one, they never trailed. At the half, the Cardinal led 35-25. Despite a 10-point lead at the break, the second half is where the Cardinal really came alive.

All of a sudden, the Cardinal’s offense absolutely exploded. Stanford scored 56 in just the second half alone, while Montana struggled with just 42. The scoring boost gave the Cardinal a comfortable 91-68 victory over the Grizzlies.

Once again, it was true freshman Ebuka Okorie who was able to stand out for the Cardinal. He put up an incredible 29 points, leading the team once again. But Stanford had four players in double digits. Guard Benny Gealer put up 13 points, including three three-pointers to help the Cardinal. The big-man duo of AJ Rohosy and Aidan Cammann helped as well, putting up 12 each.

Those 12 are a career-high for Cammann.

But it wasn’t just one player that did it all. Game in and game out, the Stanford Cardinal were playing better and better, and showing out offensively. Guards, wings, and bigs all doing their jobs to the fullest extent, and Kyle Smith coaching at an immensely high level.

It's obvious that Okorie was the star, but players such as Dent-Smith, Rohosy, and others were key contributors in the win, and every possession you could see their impact on the floor.

Montana was led by star guard Money Williams, who put up 19 points in the loss. Kenyon Aguino and Te’Jon Sawyer picked up 12 as well, while Brooklyn Hicks put up 13 off the bench.

Stanford has a few days off before taking on another Montana school, this time Montana State. The Cardinal play on Wednesday night, where they hope to get their third straight non-conference win to open up the season. Montana has a shorter break, playing UNLV on the road on Tuesday to continue their non-conference slate.