NC State won two exhibitions, but isn’t satisfied. ‘We’re way overrated’
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- NC State won two exhibitions but coach says team is overrated and must prove itself.
- Offense produced balanced scoring; five players reached double figures in Sunday outing.
- Defense, turnovers and fouls created lapses, and a brutal schedule offers tougher tests.
N.C. State started the 2023-24 season unranked and made it to the Final Four. A year ago, the Wolfpack was considered a preseason top 25 program and advanced to the Sweet 16.
This year, the squad is ranked No. 9 in the Associated Press preseason poll and picked to finish second in the ACC. Head coach Wes Moore believes his team can be a contender once again, but it’s not there yet.
The Wolfpack defeated No. 10 Maryland, 83-75, on Sunday during an exhibition at First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro. This came eight days after the program beat High Point, the Big South preseason favorite, 77-69, in another exhibition game.
“We’re way overrated right now,” Moore said. “Those ratings are based on what you did last year, so we got a lot to prove, and a brutal schedule coming up to try to prove it. I did like the fight we showed in the second half and the ability to come back and find a way (to win).”
N.C. State has a lot of firepower on offense, despite losing 60% of its scoring from a season ago. Saniya Rivers and Aziaha James were first-round WNBA Draft picks this year and Madison Hayes plays professionally overseas.
Against Maryland, Zoe Brooks led the team with 20 points, seven rebounds, three assists and five steals. Connecticut transfer Qadence Samuels struggled to score but pulled down 11 rebounds. Overall, five players reached double figures in scoring and four players contributed at least five boards.
The defensive effort, however, again lacked the same toughness Moore’s groups are known for.
NC State against the Terrapins
The Wolfpack jumped out to a 7-0 lead over the Terrapins, led by Vanderbilt transfer Khamil Pierre’s two early baskets. Maryland, undeterred by its own slow start, responded with timely shots from former Duke guard Oluchi Okananwa. The junior finished with a game-high 21 points, while contributing seven boards and three steals.
“She killed us in the conference tournament championship game a year ago,” Moore said, referring to Okananwa’s 22-point, 10-rebound effort in the ACC title game. “Today, she came out and hurt us again. In the second half, we did try to keep the ball out of her hands a little bit. I thought that helped, because she had 19 points at halftime. I thought we did a much better job on her.”
Unable to get stops and disrupt the Terps’ rhythm, N.C. State gave up 45 first-half points and 29 in the second quarter. Moore said if his squad were to repeat that second-quarter defensive performance over the course of an entire game, it would give up 116 points. A defense allowing that many points per game would rack up a lot of losses.
The Terrapins also scored 14 of their 16 second-chance points in the opening half. The team aims to hold teams under 30 points in a half and 60 in a game.
Maryland’s Addi Mack and Saylor Poffenbarger also reached double figures. Poffenbarger added 13 defensive rebounds, limiting the Pack’s opportunities for second-chance points. The duo scored most of their points after the break, stepping into the shooting role after Okananwa’s dip in production.
“We had a hard time keeping them in front of us, especially in the first half,” Moore said. “They were really good off the bounce and transition. They ran it right down our throats, and we weren’t really doing the same thing. I just think they played hard. They were aggressive.”
NC State’s foul troubles
N.C. State also struggled with turnovers, ball movement and fouls. Officials called 22 fouls on the Wolfpack, and Pierre fouled out with nearly eight minutes remaining in the game. Samuels, Brooks, Tilda Trygger and Zamareya Jones picked up at least three fouls each.
Pierre, in particular, is trying to give herself grace. She needs to make improvements, but she also understands that this is a new system, new program and it takes time to adjust. In the meantime, her teammates will help pick things up.
“I care about winning a lot more than my personal performance,” Brooks said. “I gotta do a better job scoring and getting my teammates involved, but I knew at the end I had to be aggressive to pull away from them.”
N.C. State opens its regular season on Tuesday against Tennessee in Greensboro. The Volunteers, ranked No. 8 in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll, will give the Wolfpack another big test. Only this time it will count in the standings.
The Pack is glad it pulled out a win against the Terps, but with the large lapses in the performance, the team is ready to get back to work. It has the pieces to remain a top 25 program and make a run in March, but much more is required to get there.
“I feel like this game was a good game to see where we’re at against a top 10 opponent,” Brooks said. “It gave us an opportunity to see what we need to work on going into the season. I think today was a good wake-up call.”
