What we learned in NC State women’s basketball’s loss to Southern Cal in Charlotte
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- NC State lost 69-68 after 16 turnovers, which led to 15 opponent points.
- Offense collapsed late: five scoreless turnovers and missed free throws cost lead.
- Defense slowed top freshman early, but adjustments failed as she scored late.
N.C. State women’s basketball has had one of the most difficult non-conference schedules in the country the past three years, and the Wolfpack doubled down on that this year, facing a pair of Top 25 teams right out of the gate.
Head coach Wes Moore called it brutal, and tough. And after holding a double-digit lead late with a chance to open with two wins in those two games, the Wolfpack validated Moore’s assessment.
The Wolfpack committed five turnovers without scoring any points in the final four minutes, including one on the final inbound play, as the Pack fell to Southern California, 69-68, in the Ally Tipoff at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte.
“I have so much respect for Coach Wes and N.C. State,” said USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb. “I’ve never actually in my time played them, but I’ve watched a lot on TV, and we knew would be a really tough matchup.”
There were a number of issues the Pack can point to in the loss, notably its turnovers and offensive production issues — the Wolfpack committed 18 turnovers, which USC turned into 15 points.
Zamareya Jones also missed a pair of free throws that could have put her team up three late in the fourth quarter.
“Tough one to handle, kind of let it get away from us,” Moore said. “Tip your hat to Southern Cal. They made plays down the stretch. They outscored us 19 to 10 in the fourth quarter. We had obviously had a little bit of a lead there, and just couldn’t finish it off.”
N.C. State (1-1) started slowly in its second game of the season against USC (2-0). The Pack overcame multiple early shooting slumps, but ended on another.
After averaging 80 points in two exhibitions and the season opener, the Wolfpack looked like it could put up shots against anyone. It struggled to get rolling in the opening half, shooting 38.5% from the field and 22.2% from the 3-point line.
Both teams played solid defense, but it also felt like some of the offensive issues came from a lack of energy. N.C. State, at times, stood around on offense and took baskets one-on-one instead of making the extra pass.
N.C. State missed six baskets in a row during two first-half stretches, including a period when it went 3 of 13. The Wolfpack offense moved more effectively in the final 4½ minutes of the first half, during which it shot 6 of 7 from the field.
The Pack had a third stretch of six missed baskets to start the second half, but responded dominantly. In the span of roughly six minutes, the Wolfpack offense made eight of nine shot attempts to take an 11-point lead. That was the largest lead for either team in the game.
However, the Pack ended the game with another five straight missed shots, including the two missed free throws that could have given the team a two-possession lead. It shot 39.4% from the field, including 28.6% in the fourth quarter. N.C. State scored only 10 points in the final period after surpassing 20 points twice.
On the other side, N.C. State couldn’t make up for its scoring challenges. USC outscored the Wolfpack 19-10, its best quarter of the game.
N.C. State’s 18 turnovers were more than it committed against Tennessee, which is known for its pressure defense. Zoe Brooks led the team with six turnovers.
“My decision making has to be better. If my teammates are not wide open, or I feel like they’re not in the greatest position to catch the ball, just not throwing it,” Brooks said. She will watch the film to see how she could’ve read the floor differently.
Brooks also led the Wolfpack with 24 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. Khamil Pierre added 10 points and 18 rebounds. They finished with double-doubles for the second time in as many games. Tilda Trygger finished with eight points and 11 rebounds.
“I think a lot of players need to step up,” Trygger said. “We don’t have one person [leading]. I have a lot of trust in Zoe, of course, but I hope she has trust in me, too. … I think everybody needs to do a great job, because we’re doing this together in the end. In games like this, we have to do it together.”
Shot selection woes
It’s early in the season, and N.C. State is still figuring itself out on both ends of the floor. The team’s poor shooting decisions were part of the growing pains in its second official game.
The Wolfpack took too many forced shots that didn’t flow within the pace of play, including several missed fade-away jumpers in the lane. It took a few rushed jumpers and heavily contested baskets, even when there was someone open for the extra pass.
Moore could be heard from the sideline mid-game yelling, “Pass the ball,” after too much isolation ball and strained baskets. There were also times when the Pack took too many passes, missing high-efficiency shots for the sake of ball movement, which led to turnovers. It finished with 11 assists on 28 made field goals.
“Look at the fact we had 11 assists and 18 turnovers,” Moore said. “There were so many times that we put our head down and went into the traffic, went into the teeth of the defense, and turned the ball over. On both ends of the floor, we’ve got to come together as a team a little bit more and rely on each other and be able to count on each other.”
USC deserves credit for its ability to disrupt the N.C. State offense, but Moore’s team hurt itself on several plays, too. Its shot selection and situational awareness is something the Pack will look to clean up as it progresses through the season.
Pack slow to adjust to Davidson’s strong second-half shooting
N.C. State’s defense held the Trojans to 26 points in the first half, hampering USC’s ability to find a rhythm. It was most successful against Jazzy Davidson.
Davidson, the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2025, started the game 1 for 10 and scored three points in the first half. Her lone shot came from the perimeter.
The rookie, however, lit things up in the second half. Davidson came out hot and shot 5 for 5, racking up 13 points. The defense, which slowed her down early, had little answer.
There’s a reason Davidson was the top recruit this season, and it would’ve been surprising for her to remain stymied the entire game. N.C. State seemed to lose Davidson on several plays, though, allowing her to get into space and take open shots. It looked like it had tamped down on Davidson late in the half, but it allowed her to make an open layup to take a 69-68 lead with eight seconds remaining.
Davidson led the Trojans with 21 points, including 18 in the second half.
N.C. State will face additional elite talent this season, and it’ll have to be better at identifying how it can slow down players who get hot.
“She had a great game. She took us off the bounce, and then if we did try to maybe contain a little bit more, she knocked down some 3s,” Moore said. “We’re, right now not guarding, not defending as a team the way we need to. We leave each other on an island too much. I think we need to play more as a team on both ends of the court.”
Quigley provides quiet support
N.C. State’s bench scored just five points in its opener against Tennessee. It surpassed that total in one quarter of play Sunday.
Sophomore Devyn Quigley came off the bench and started the game 3 for 3 from the field, including a 3 to add seven points. Quigley also added one rebound and one assist in the first half.
She contributed nine points on 4-of-7 shooting, four rebounds and two assists.
The Wolfpack expects Quigley to be an influential member of the team. She can stretch the floor with her 3-point shooting, but she’s also able to score inside, draw fouls and disrupt opponents defensively. Moore said she’s a work in progress, and he’s right, but she provided a lift when Jones struggled to shoot and got into foul trouble.
This story was originally published November 9, 2025 at 5:37 PM.
