GREENSBORO, N.C. — While it was only an exhibition game, No. 9 NC State women’s basketball made a statement by defeating No. 10 Maryland 83-75.
“The good news is we came back and showed a little bit of fight,” said head coach Wes Moore. “We got a long way to go as you probably all saw. We’re not playing great right now, so I knew this was going to be a tough one.”
After losing stars Aziaha James, Saniya Rivers and Madison Hayes to the WNBA, the Pack has been looking for new stars to emerge. Junior guard Zoe Brooks and senior forward Khalil Pierre stepped up and played well enough to give hope that they’ll be NC State’s next dynamic duo. The two showed that even against one of the nation’s best squads, NC State can shine with Brooks and Pierre driving the bus. Even with the stars’ outstanding performances, the Wolfpack remains hungry and eager to improve — an encouraging sign for the season’s outlook.
“I feel like this game was a good game to see where we’re at against a top ten opponent,” Brooks said. “It gave us an opportunity to see what we need to work on going into the season, so I think today was a good wake up call.”
When the game was on the line in the final five minutes of the game, Brooks stepped up and took the game’s biggest shots —- eerily similar to how James took over games last season. Brooks finished with 20 points, doing the bulk of her scoring on floaters and layups. Additionally, Brooks consistently drew contact and earned free throw opportunities. Her evolution into a go-to scorer is much-needed for the Wolfpack in a year of retooling.
“I feel like every game I’m just trying to do whatever to help the team win,” Brooks said. “I care a lot more about winning than my personal performance.”
Meanwhile, Pierre was a steady presence for the Wolfpack all afternoon. Despite fouling out, Pierre finished with 16 points in just 22 minutes of action. The Vanderbilt transfer was nearly unstoppable when she drove into the lane and provided a steady presence for the new-look Wolfpack. The addition of Pierre is a critical pickup for the Wolfpack as she’ll be a centerpiece in the red-and-white’s gameplan every game.
Despite the win, NC State has plenty to work on, particularly on the defensive end. While the Pack only allowed the Terrapins to shoot 8-29 from deep, there were several open looks for Maryland that simply missed — a lucky outcome. Other teams will certainly punish the Wolfpack for open shots, so NC State must play tighter perimeter defense and return to the disciplined style of play that Moore expects from his teams annually.
“We’re way overrated right now,” Moore said. “All those ratings are based on what you did last year, so we got a lot to improve and a brutal schedule coming up.”
NC State will return to Greensboro on Tuesday Nov. 4 for its season opener vs No. 8 Tennessee, set to tipoff at 4 p.m on ESPN2. The game is a rematch from a 2024 NCAA Tournament game that ended in a Wolfpack victory to clinch a spot in the Sweet 16. The Volunteers will be a much stiffer opponent this time around with a different head coach, Kim Caldwell, and fresh off a Sweet 16 appearance in 2025.
