NC State women’s basketball’s trip to Winston-Salem was a tale of two halves after giving up a season-high 49 first-half points before cruising to victory against Wake Forest, 95-77.

The Wolfpack (13-5, 6-1 ACC) let Wake Forest (12-7, 2-5 ACC) give its all early before hitting back twice as hard. Junior forward Khamil Pierre led the way with a season-high 26 points, but the offense got going when the guards, sophomore Zamareya Jones and junior Zoe Brooks, found their way to the basket. They combined for 36 points and 14 assists while sophomore forward Tilda Trygger logged her third consecutive double-double.

Wake Forest started the game with a supernova of offense, sinking seven straight 3-pointers and scoring 33 first-quarter points on 15 shots. NC State’s defense was both porous and leisurely, allowing Deacon players to sneak along the baseline, lose defenders on cuts, and catch the ball on the perimeter with entirely too much time and space to shoot.

After those defensive lapses, the Wolfpack dialed in, and Wake Forest scored a combined 44 in the final three periods. NC State kept passing lanes tight and communicated coverage better, snuffing out the Deacons’ explosive offense.

Meanwhile, the Wolfpack found its own way to stuff the stat sheet. Its dual point-guard lineup was a nightmare for the Deacons, with every drive causing trouble. Whether that was a layup, a kick-out to an open Trygger, or a miss and an offensive rebound, Wake Forest had no answer.

Like usual, NC State dominated the boards, grabbing 42 rebounds to the Deacons’ 21, with 16 of them coming on offense. The Wolfpack has only been outrebounded two times this season, and both Pierre and Trygger sit in the top-10 of rebounds per game in the ACC.

With the win, NC State protected a winning streak of 13 consecutive games over Wake Forest that has been going strong since 2017.

Next on the schedule is a home matchup against No. 9 Louisville, who have won 10-straight games. Tipoff is set for 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 18.