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NC State Responds With Win Over Florida State

Wolfpack women's basketball got the job done against the Seminoles.
Tucker Sennett|
Mar 28, 2025; Spokane, WA, USA; NC State Wolfpack guard Zamareya Jones (3) shoots during the first half of a Sweet 16 NCAA Tournament basketball game against the LSU Lady Tigers at Spokane Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images
Mar 28, 2025; Spokane, WA, USA; NC State Wolfpack guard Zamareya Jones (3) shoots during the first half of a Sweet 16 NCAA Tournament basketball game against the LSU Lady Tigers at Spokane Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images | James Snook-Imagn Images

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North Carolina State Wolfpack

RALEIGH — Just a few days after a heartbreaking loss to No. 25 UNC, Wes Moore and NC State needed to dig deep and come up with a response. The Wolfpack rode a 52-point first half to victory over Florida State, ultimately beating the Seminoles 83-55. 

While it was far from a perfect performance, it marked a return to form for several members of the Wolfpack. Offensively, the win marked a major turnaround for NC State, as all 10 members of the roster scored in the game at some point. The team shot 44% from the field overall, but 50% in the first half of the win.

Resurgence from Jones 

After shooting 3-of-11 in the loss to UNC and missing a potential game-winner from 3-point range, sophomore guard Zam Jones left the court heatbroken. She needed to respond against the Seminoles, not just for her team, but for herself. Jones made it evident early on that her performance against the Tar Heels was an aberration rather than reality. 

In the first half alone, she scored 20 points, leading the Wolfpack by a significant margin. She buried her 4-of-6 shots from 3-point range in the first 20 minutes. Her offensive explosion in the first half marked her first 20-point outing since the loss to No. 6 Louisville. 

Jones finished the night with 25 points, two assists and three steals. It was the response she needed, completely outclassing the competition as she’d become accustomed to over the last few weeks in conference play. It marked the fourth 20-plus point performance of the season for Jones in the 2025-26 season. She was just one point away from tying her career high of 26.

Second-half slippage 

After such a dominant first half, NC State was due to suffer from a slide in the third quarter. Both the Wolfpack’s offense and defense struggled throughout those 10 minutes, while FSU got going on a 7-0 run. However, Jones’ fifth made 3-pointer stopped the bleeding and got State back into the swing of things offensively. 

Sophomore forward Tilda Trygger found herself in foul trouble with around four minutes to play in the third quarter, but checked back in shortly after committing her third foul. It was a rare individual matchup for the Swedish forward, where she faced off against another 6-foot-6 player in FSU’s Pania Davis. Trygger still finished the game with 10 points and two rebounds. 

NC State matched its first-half turnover total in the first nine minutes of the third quarter. That sloppiness allowed the Seminoles some offensive success after such a dismal start to the game. The Wolfpack ended up losing the third quarter, with Florida State hanging 20 points on the home team’s defense. 

Another double-double

A day after being named to the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year midseason watchlist, junior forward Khamil Pierre registered her 15th double-double of the season for the Wolfpack. The talented forward didn’t have her most efficient performance, shooting 5-for-14 from the field in the victory, but she did enough to impact the game. 

Pierre scored 11 points and gathered a team-high 18 rebounds. On the defensive end, she secured a couple of steals for her team, living up to her latest award recognition. Pierre's rebounding helped the Wolfpack outlast a strong offensive rebounding performance from the Seminoles, who hauled in 19 offensive boards, despite the 28-point loss.

Final word

NC State took advantage of sloppy play in the first half and then suffered from it in the second. The Wolfpack thrived in transition, an area that Moore hoped to improve of late, scoring 23 fast break points and 22 points off the Seminoles' turnovers. Despite NC State's second-half turnover issues, FSU never threatened the Wolfpack in that regard.

The Pack has a quick turnaround in a three-game week and will head to Blacksburg to face Virginia Tech on Sunday.

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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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