GREENSBORO, N.C. — With just over three minutes left in the fourth quarter of its matchup against No. 8 Tennessee, No. 9 NC State women’s basketball was floundering. After a profound third quarter where it outscored the Lady Vols 23-18, it looked as though the life had been sucked out of the Wolfpack offense.
Shot after shot went up, and each clanked off the rim. NC State needed a bucket, and it needed it badly.
Enter sophomore guard Zamareya Jones.
Jones spent the majority of last season as the first player off the bench, but became a starter for the 2025-26 season after NC State (1-0) lost three of its guards in the offseason. Jones scored nine of the Wolfpack’s final 11 points in the fourth quarter versus Tennessee (0-1) — a three-pointer, a contested jumper and four free throws — leading the red-and-white to a statement 80-77 top-10 win in its first game of the season.
“I thought [Zam] didn’t play her best the first three quarters,” said head coach Wes Moore. “Shows a lot of inner confidence when you can step up in the fourth quarter and hit a big three, a couple of big free throws.”
But while Jones stepped up in the final three minutes, it took a combined team effort to down the No. 8 team in the nation in its first game. Four NC State players scored in double digits, and the starters combined for 75 of NC State’s 80 total points. With every starter playing 30 minutes or more, Moore put full faith in his leaders, and they delivered.
“We’re all dogs,” Jones said. “We all can score, if all of us are in double digits and we’re sharing the ball, it feels like great basketball.”
Leading the charge was junior forward Khamil Pierre, who led the Pack with 21 points and 14 rebounds in her NC State debut, earning her Player of the Game honors. The Vanderbilt transfer made an immediate impact in the post, an area that NC State severely lacked last season.
Jones may have scored nine of the final 11 points, but Pierre contributed arguably the most important points of the game. When the Lady Vols hit a shot to take a one-point lead with just 54 seconds left, Pierre knocked down a contested fast break jumper just eight seconds later to retake and hold the lead.
“I don’t think we guarded her at all,” Tennessee head coach Kim Caldwell said. “She’s a really good transition player. I think she’s one of the best players in the country.”
Pierre’s addition in the post allowed sophomore forward Tilda Trygger to hit her stride. The Swede finished with 19 points and eight rebounds — five on the offensive glass — for one of the best games of her young career. Her offensive rebound with just six seconds left proved to be the final nail in Tennessee’s coffin, resetting the shot clock and giving NC State the opportunity it needed.
“I’ve never been able to play with someone like that,” Pierre said. “I think that’s really incredible. That’s really cool to be surrounded by people who can pour a lot into the team. It’s a lot less stress.”
For the majority of last season, Moore talked about Trygger’s ceiling, but also her hesitation in the post. She wasn’t used to the Western style of basketball, opting to be more of a wing. But after a jam-packed freshman year and full offseason of work, Trygger came out of the gates with pure confidence and zero hesitation, finishing through contact and diving for rebounds.
“Tilda’s capable of stretching the defense, so we’ll definitely let her do that even though people think we’re crazy,” Moore said. “Couldn’t have gotten a bigger board.”
No rest for the Wolfpack as it travels to Charlotte on Sunday for the Ally Tipoff, taking on No. 18 USC in a neutral-site game. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN.
