Did Wes Moore, NC State Figure Things Out in Cancun?

RALEIGH — Wes Moore and No. 25 NC State needed to show some improvements during their trip to Mexico for the Cancun Challenge. After losing to Rhode Island before leaving for the Thanksgiving Holiday multi-team event down south, the Wolfpack head coach continued to share his concerns about some of the trends his team showed in the early stages of the season.

A 2-0 showing in the Cancun Challenge flipped the script on many of those problems, as the Wolfpack was the clear-cut top team in the event. NC State began by outlasting Green Bay 79-67, before throttling Southern Mississippi 110-56 in its most complete offensive performance of the season.

Bouncing back against Green Bay

When you realize the bank actually is open on Thanksgiving 🤗 pic.twitter.com/OaCmBFt7pJ
— NC State WBB 🐺🏀 (@PackWomensBball) November 28, 2025

The event began for the Wolfpack on Thanksgiving Day, and the group looked sluggish after the long trip and holiday festivities away from home in the early stages of the matchup against Green Bay. The Wolfpack led by just five points at the half, but the Phoenix were able to take a lead in the third quarter after going on a 9-0 run.

However, Zam Jones came to play in Cancun. She banked a 3-pointer in at the buzzer of the third quarter, helping the Pack go up 56-52 before the final period. Zoe Brooks and Jones led the scoring charge in the game, with Brooks tallying 21 and Jones adding 17 points. Forward Khamil Pierre struggled shooting the ball, but hauled in 21 rebounds for the Wolfpack. The ugly win got the train back on the tracks.

A dominant win over Southern Mississippi and next steps

Everybody eats 🍽️

Most points scored in a game in the Wes Moore era! pic.twitter.com/Ww6F85g4HE
— NC State WBB 🐺🏀 (@PackWomensBball) November 29, 2025

NC State's offense struggled with inconsistency in the opening weeks of the season. The group was prone to lengthy droughts and failed to put away inferior competition several times, particularly in the URI loss. There were no such issues against the Golden Eagles, as Moore's team scored the most points since in his tenure as head coach of the Wolfpack with 110.

It was the most in the event since UConn's 109 points in 2008. Seven different players on the Wolfpack scored in double-figures, with Pierre leading the way with 18 points. Forward Tilda Trygger added 16 points of her own and the team scored a whopping 58 points in the paint. At one point, the Wolfpack led by 60.

Q! That’s who 🫡

📊 11 points + 3-4 3FG + 5 rebounds pic.twitter.com/9mQJNmXT16
— NC State WBB 🐺🏀 (@PackWomensBball) November 29, 2025

The most important development for the Wolfpack was UConn transfer Qadence Samuels finding some confidence in her shot. Samuels struggled to knock down threes with any consistency in the first two weeks and it began to impact the rest of her game. The junior guard knocked down a trio of triples and scored 11 points in the win over the Golden Eagles.

Brooks and Pierre were named to the All-Tournament team for their section of the event, with Pierre earning MVP honors after two double-doubles. The pair of victories moved the Wolfpack to 5-3 on the season before yet another ranked matchup. The Pack is set to face No. 9 Oklahoma in the ACC/SEC challenge in Norman on Wednesday, with a chance to bolster the resume further.