Salish Kootenai vs Montana prediction: Montana's home opener brings a rematch with Salish Kootenai
The Grizzlies won the first meeting 102-46, so Nov. 4 is mostly a measure of how a new-look roster handles the ball after a trip to Oregon.
- Montana should control this from the start, as it did in last season's 102-46 win over Salish Kootenai.
- Montana's ball security against an unfamiliar opponent: the Grizzlies ranked 345th in turnover rate last season.
- No spread or total has been posted; last December's 102-46 result is the only scoring reference between these teams.
A rematch with a wide gap
Montana and Salish Kootenai first played on Dec. 10, 2025, and the Grizzlies won 102-46. The Nov. 4 game at Dahlberg Arena is the second meeting and Montana's first regular-season home game.
Salish Kootenai is no pushover at its own level. It went 23-5 last season, finished third in the AIHEC and won the 2025 Tribal Sports Network title. Head coach Melissa Tiensvold also serves as athletic director, as of the most recent information from December 2025. No 2026-27 roster or expected starters have surfaced for the visitors, so how much of that team returns is unknown.
What Montana does well
Last season's Grizzlies, who went 18-16 and reached the Big Sky Championship before losing to Idaho on March 11, could shoot. Their effective field goal percentage, which counts threes as 1.5 shots, was 56.4%, 18th of 365 Division I teams.
The weaknesses came elsewhere. Montana turned it over on 20.0% of possessions, 345th nationally, and grabbed only 22.0% of its own misses, 359th. Those flaws cost possessions against good opponents. Against a non-Division I visitor they matter less, but cleaner ball handling would be an early sign of real improvement.
A new-look roster, a busy week
Travis DeCuire is in his 12th season, and the school calls this a new-look team. The roster includes freshman Seven Pridgen from Governor's Academy and Jordan Clark, a transfer from Central Washington. Fans get their first public look on Oct. 24 in an upcoming exhibition against Cal State Bakersfield.
The schedule asks a lot early. Montana opens at Oregon on Nov. 2 before returning home for this game. Big Sky media picked the Grizzlies 4th, and coaches had them tied for 4th with 73 points, behind Montana State. Rotation decisions made against Salish Kootenai may say more about this team than the score.
No injuries or eligibility issues have been reported for either team.
What to watch
- How much DeCuire plays newcomers such as Clark and Pridgen.
- Whether Montana's turnover count drops from last season's levels.
- Fatigue or a short rotation after the Oregon trip.
- The market, once books post a line on a non-Division I game.
Numbers that matter
| Last meeting | 102-46 | Montana's win over Salish Kootenai on Dec. 10, 2025, the only previous game between the schools. |
|---|---|---|
| Montana eFG% last season | 56.4% | Ranked 18th of 365 in 2025-26, the core of the Grizzlies' offense. |
| Montana turnover rate last season | 20.0% | Ranked 345th of 365, the clearest flaw for a new roster to fix. |
| Salish Kootenai last season | 23-5 | A strong record at the tribal college level, plus a Tribal Sports Network title. |
Salish Kootenai vs Montana: quick answers
When is Salish Kootenai vs Montana?
Wednesday, November 4, 2026 at 7:00 PM ET.