Montana @ Pittsburgh preview

Even before an opening-season loss at Navy, Pittsburgh second-year coach Kevin Stallings knew he was facing a difficult task rebuilding his inexperienced team. With “a slew of things to work,” Stallings and his troops will look for better execution when the Panthers host Montana on Monday.

One of six teams in Division I not returning a starter, Pittsburgh got outscored 13-1 coming out after halftime - missing its first 14 field-goal attempts in falling 71-62 to a mediocre Midshipmen team. “We were hoping adversity would come a little later than tonight, but it came tonight,” Stallings told reporters after the contest. “We scored one point in the first 10 minutes (of the second half). You’re not going to win on the road if you score one point in 10 minutes. It was sort of frustrating because we could never get on top of the game or get on top of our play.” Jared Wilson-Frame led Pittsburgh with 20 points and Ryan Luther had 14, but the Panthers shot just 41.8 percent and were outrebounded 39-30. Montana, a member of the Big Sky Conference which finished 16-16 a season ago, opened 2017-18 with a 72-60 victory over Division III Whitworth on Friday.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ACC Network Extra

ABOUT MONTANA (1-0): Junior guard Ahmaad Rorie had 21 points and three assists while backcourt mate Michael Oguine added 10 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals in the opener. The duo combined to average 29.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists last season and are considered perhaps the best backcourt in the Big Sky. “Those guys can score the ball about as well as any backcourt you want to watch,” fourth-year coach Travis DeCuire told Blue Ribbon college basketball yearbook. "Both are athletic, can shoot and create their own shot. Those are guys you turn loose.”

ABOUT PITTSBURGH (0-1): Wilson-Frame, a talented 6-5 transfer from Northwest Florida State Junior College, converted 8-of-17 shots, including 4-of-11 from beyond the arc, and Luther was 6-of-13 from the field and added eight rebounds. Freshman Marcus Carr, a top-100 high school prospect, scored 12 points, drained 3-of-5 from beyond the arc and finished with four assists in 31 minutes off the bench. The other seven players who appeared combined to shoot 6-of-17, including 0-for-9 from beyond the arc.

TIP-INS

1. The Panthers have just three career starts from their returning players, and no other Division I school had fewer than 11.

2. Pittsburgh is 135-5 in non-conference home games at the Petersen Events Center.

3. DeCuire is the all-time assists leader for the Grizzlies.

PREDICTION: Montana 66, Pittsburgh 58