Montana @ Stanford preview

After going winless at last week’s PK80 Invitational in Portland, Stanford returns home Wednesday to face Montana from the Big Sky Conference. The Cardinal dropped their fourth straight game with Sunday’s 87-78 loss to Portland State, which forced 28 turnovers and led by as many as 17 in the closing minutes.

Preseason All-American Reid Travis averages 21.4 points and 7.3 rebounds for Stanford, which opened play in Portland with back-to-back losses to Florida and Ohio State. Travis had 28 points and 14 rebounds in the loss to Portland State while point guard Robert Cartwright made three 3-pointers and finished with a season-high 19 points. Stanford is averaging 16 turnovers per game while starting three freshmen in guards Isaac White and Daejon Davis and forward Oscar Da Silva, and that inexperience could be a factor against an opportunistic Montana team. The Grizzlies have forced more turnovers than their opponents in five of their first six games, including last Sunday’s 86-75 win over NAIA member Carroll College.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network

ABOUT MONTANA (4-2): Junior guard Ahmaad Rorie averages 18.8 points and 4.3 rebounds to lead the Grizzlies, whose early-season schedule has included an overtime win over Pittsburgh and a 13-point loss at Penn State. Coach Travis DeCuire has used the same starting lineup in all six games, with Rorie joining Mike Oguine, Rorie, Bobby Moorehead, Fabijan Krslovic and junior forward Jamar Akoh, who had a career-high 16 points and 10 rebounds in last Sunday’s victory. Oguine averages 16.2 points for the Grizzlies, who are forcing 19.2 turnovers per game.

ABOUT STANFORD (3-5): Coach Jerod Haase’s team has struggled without key rotation players Dorian Pickens and Marcus Sheffield, who are listed as day-to-day with foot injuries. Forward Michael Humphrey averages 10.8 points and a team-high 8.5 rebounds but was limited to six points and five boards while battling foul trouble in the loss to Portland State. White has started all six games and has become the team’s top perimeter shooter, while Davis has played well in spurts at the point but has committed a team-high 37 turnovers.

TIP-INS

1. Stanford leads the all-time series 3-2, with the last meeting coming during the 2005-06 season.

2. Montana has outrebounded its opponent in five straight games.

3. Stanford is 17-4 all-time against teams from the Big Sky Conference.

PREDICTION: Montana 83, Stanford 77