NC State women’s basketball is known for its rebounding prowess, individual scoring talent and defensive intensity. The Wolfpack brought it all to the table against Virginia Tech.
The Wolfpack (16-7, 9-3 ACC) capitalized on offensive matchups in a 82-62 win against the Hokies (18-7, 8-5 ACC) with junior forward Khamil Pierre in the post, sophomore guard Zam Jones on the perimeter and junior guard Zoe Brooks getting downhill toward the basket. They combined for 66 points. Defensively, the Wolfpack made life hard for the Hokies’ guards, forcing 16 turnovers.
A tricky first quarter forced NC State to reassess its approach as the Hokies’ 6-foot-1 Kilah Freelon grabbed eight rebounds while its leading scorer in conference play, Carleigh Wenzel, opened the game with a pair of 3-pointers. Ten minutes passed with both teams even at 19 points.
In the second quarter, the Wolfpack put the clamps on and ran away with the game. The Hokies shot 3-of-15 from the floor and scored eight points while NC State used an 11-0 run to build its lead that it never lost.
For the second consecutive game, NC State had double-digit steals, and its defensive intensity — both on and off the ball — had the Hokies scrambling for space and finding none. Tough shots from Wenzel kept the Wolfpack’s lead from growing in the second half, but her efforts weren’t enough on their own.
Pierre ended the game with a double-double, a regular occurrence for the forward who is top-5 in ACC scoring and first in ACC rebounding. She was a nightmare for the Hokies defensively, and showed off an array of post moves to score 25 points. Virginia Tech challenged the glass and won the rebounding margin 41-37, but the Wolfpack’s post defense snuffed out most of its second-chance opportunities.
Brooks got back to her old ways, getting to the free-throw line with ease and shooting 13-of-14 from the stripe. She has shot 54 free throws in her last five games and has missed only two. The conference leader in free-throw percentage gave NC State an extra level of scoring, and she showed off her defense with a career-high six steals.
“My freshman year we went there and lost on a buzzer beater, so I’m excited to go back and kind of get revenge from that game,” Brooks said ahead of today’s matchup.
Brooks got revenge, and NC State earned its first win in Blacksburg since 2022 to put another Quad 1 win on its tournament resume. ESPN predicts the Wolfpack’s resume will earn the team a 6-seed.
After playing three games in six days, NC State gets a full week’s rest before it hits the road again to play Notre Dame at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 15th.
