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Khamil Pierre Saves Shorthanded NC State Squad Against Cal

With one of the key frontcourt players out with an illness, the junior needed to be at the top of her game.
Tucker Sennett|
Nov 9, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack forward Khamil Pierre (12) controls the ball against the Southern California Trojans during the second quarter of the Ally Tipoff game at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images
Nov 9, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack forward Khamil Pierre (12) controls the ball against the Southern California Trojans during the second quarter of the Ally Tipoff game at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images | Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images

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North Carolina State Wolfpack

RALEIGH — Before Sunday's game against Cal could even get going, NC State women's basketball already faced a major issue. Sophomore forward Tilda Trygger, the team's dominant presence in the paint, was ruled out due to illness. Her absence forced the rest of the shorthanded frontcourt to step up, most importantly junior forward Khamil Pierre.

While Pierre's performance hadn't slipped since ACC play began for the Wolfpack, she needed to be on another gear against the Golden Bears to make up for the lost production from Trygger. She put together one of her most dominant showings in a Wolfpack uniform, scoring 21 points and hauling in seven rebounds in a 71-60 win for NC State.

How Pierre stepped up

When Pierre arrived in Raleigh after her sophomore season at Vanderbilt, there were some growing pains. NC State entered the season with a very young core, lacking senior leadership across the roster. It took some time for the quieter leaders of the Pack to find their voices and for Pierre to adjust to her new role under coach Wes Moore. Her performance against Cal was a sign of that comfort level rising.

"I came off a really good season, but also... I feel like I lost that confidence coming to a new team," Pierre said. "It's really hard to be comfortable and to find your groove again. So, I'm really just confiding in myself and finding that confidence I've had and just bringing that out to the court."

The forward has made something of a tradition at the start of each game, firing, and more often than not making, a turnaround jumper to get the offense rolling. Pierre scored 11 points in the first half as the Wolfpack held a narrow one-point advantage at the half. Early in the third quarter, she took a hit to the face and went down in some pain. Moore had no choice but to take her out of the game and trust his group.

She recovered for a short period, but the Golden Bears started to make a run. Moore saw enough and paced toward Pierre, questioning whether she was ready to go. She knew it was time and ran to the scorer's table, ready to don her superhero cape in what proved to be the critical stretch of the game for the Wolfpack.

When she checked back in, she instantly became the focal point of the offensive game plan for the Pack. Guards Zam Jones and Zoe Brooks both targeted the forward inside. She scored eight points in a row for NC State, giving the team an eight-point advantage after Cal briefly took a one-point lead moments before she checked in.

Pierre never looks like she's sped up, even when opponents begin to double her. As the fourth quarter became a little more of a guard-focused battle, she did her best to stay out of the way. Eventually, her moment came to ice the game. Jones drove hard to the basket and smoothly dumped the ball to a wide-open Pierre, who nestled in underneath the basket and layed it in to put the game out of reach.

Coming from the SEC, Pierre knows what it takes to hang with the best of the best in conference play. However, Moore instilled within her a new mindset about playing ACC opponents, which clearly resonated with her based on how she's played through the 4-0 start in league play.

"Like coach said, every win is a great win, especially in this conference," Pierre said. "There's no easy games. I think just understanding we didn't start this season how we wanted to. Understanding, especially coming back from winter break, to make sure we all were focused on our principles... The biggest thing for us is just to win and be the better team on the floor."

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Tucker Sennett
TUCKER SENNETT

Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.

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