DURHAM, N.C. — The stakes for in-state rivalry games are already high, playing for bragging rights and the claim as the best team in the state.
The stakes were even higher when NC State women’s basketball traveled down the road to take on No. 9 Duke, looking to get revenge for the 2025 ACC Championship, where the Pack fell to the Blue Devils in Tournament Town.
But instead of finding revenge, it found more of the same problems as Duke stifled NC State 83-65, commanding the Pack in nearly every facet of the game.
“We say we’re dogs, but what kind of dog are we?” said head coach Wes Moore. “We gotta be dobermans, we can’t be chihuahuas.”
It was domination on both ends of the floor for the Blue Devils. Defensively, their 10 steals and four blocks ended Wolfpack possessions as soon as they began. Offensively, Duke marked 18 assists to NC State’s five. It knocked down seven 3-pointers, while NC State couldn’t even get one to fall.
“We went 1-on-1 too much,” Moore said. “We were doing that early in the year. I thought we got away from it, but these last couple of games, they both played good defense and so we settled.”
From the tip, it was clear the Pack was outmatched. Not only did it lack any offensive momentum in the first quarter, but it couldn’t get a stop, allowing 28 first-quarter points, digging its own grave in the first 10 minutes. Neither team could get the upper hand in the second quarter, holding each other to under 40% from the field.
By the time halftime rolled around, only junior forward Khamil Pierre had more than four points, and junior guard Zoe Brooks — the Pack’s star — didn’t even have a point.
“When you’re on the road in this league against one of the top tier teams, it’s tough,” Moore said. “You’re gonna have to really be mentally and physically tough, and I think that’s an area we gotta get better. When things don’t go well, we gotta be able to fight through it.”
NC State came out of the locker room looking like a different team, fueled by Brooks’ 13 third-quarter points, and outscored Duke 22-15. With momentum on its side and a single-digit deficit for the first time since early in the first quarter, there was hope.
“I thought the way we started, the competitiveness, the pace was great,” said Duke head coach Kara Lawson. “We got bogged down in the third quarter. We lost our pace, and as a result, we lost our rhythm and our momentum on the offensive end. They did a great job of taking that away from us.”
But the Pack’s winning aspirations died as quickly as they were born, and Duke drove the nail into the coffin with a 27-point final frame. Pierre and Brooks combined for 45 points, but couldn’t find backup from anyone else as the next-highest scorer — sophomore guard Zam Jones — finished with just six points.
Dreams of March Madness are nice, but you have to battle the reality of February first. The Pack has lost three of its last five games, limping its way towards the ACC Tournament. With three games remaining, it’s crucial for the Pack to close out the season on a high note and carry the momentum into the postseason.
“February is what I call the dog days of the season, and then you hit March,” Moore said. “But we can’t wait til March. We’re in a dog fight to try and get the double bye [in the ACC Tournament.] Right now, we’re behind it, but we’re in a position where we control our own destiny. We gotta find that extra gear.”
With a chance to right the ship, NC State returns to Raleigh for its final two home games of the season, beginning with a showdown against Syracuse on Sunday, Feb. 22. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. and will be televised on The CW Network.
