Competing in the Cancun Challenge, NC State women’s basketball earned an international victory over Green Bay 79-67.
With a shaky start to the season, the Cancun Challenge in Riviera Maya, Mexico, serves as an opportunity for the Wolfpack (4-3) to reset. While the Phoenix (5-2) pushed the Pack early, junior guard Zoe Brooks and the offense eventually overwhelmed Green Bay.
Brooks led the charge with 21 points and seven assists. While her outside shot wasn’t falling, the New Jersey native was lethal when driving to the paint. Finishing 8-for-19 from the field, Brooks was a steady presence for NC State all afternoon.
With a team-high three triples, sophomore guard Zamareya Jones stepped up for the Wolfpack with much-needed outside shooting. The rest of the Pack combined for just four 3s all game, leaving NC State in desperate need of Jones’ shooting. With Jones in a rhythm all evening, the red-and-white survived early challenges and soared late.
While she had a quiet day offensively, junior forward Khamil Pierre racked up a career-high 21 rebounds, dominating the glass. Pierre also added three blocks, further establishing herself as a defensive menace against the Phoenix, particularly down low. While the Wolfpack has been an inconsistent team defensively, Pierre’s emergence as a defensive star gives the Pack a building block to improve around this season.
Pierre’s rebounding performance was a historic showing, marking the third-highest rebounding total in program history. It was also the first performance with 20 or more rebounds in a game since 2018.
Despite strong individual performances, NC State failed to pull away from Green Bay during the first three quarters. The Wolfpack’s eight-point lead after the first quarter dwindled to just one early in the fourth. While the red-and-white lucked out as Green Bay ran out of gas down the stretch, allowing NC State to put the game away, the game should serve as a warning for the Pack. The Wolfpack will struggle to compete for the ACC title if it allows inferior competition to hang around.
The Wolfpack’s drop-off from the starters to the bench is glaring. Outscored 18-13 by Green Bay’s bench, the Wolfpack bench lacks teeth and the ability to go on a scoring run. Outside of sophomore guard Devyn Quigley, who scored eight points, nobody else on the Pack’s bench scored more than one basket.
Next up, NC State will face Southern Miss in the Pack’s second game in the Cancun Challenge. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 28, with coverage available on FloCollege.
