NC State Continues Perfect Start in ACC Play

RALEIGH — Wes Moore and NC State women’s basketball continued their perfect start to ACC play with an impressive 74-56 win over Stanford. It was one of the better defensive showings from the group in a prove-it type of game against one of the stronger members of the conference in the Cardinal.

Sparks off the bench

THAT TURNAROUND 🔥🐺

Maddie Cox showing off her moves for @PackWomensBball!

📺 @accnetwork pic.twitter.com/NnwTgtmKaJ
— ACC Women's Basketball (@accwbb) January 1, 2026

Improved bench production has been a major point of emphasis throughout the season for Moore and the coaching staff. The high effort minutes from players like junior forward Maddie Cox and freshman guard Destiny Lunan helped the Wolfpack weather early storms against Stanford, as well as keep the Reynolds Coliseum crowd engaged.

Cox played about as well as Moore could’ve asked her to in the first half, providing a nice spark off the bench. She fired a brilliant pass to Zam Jones on a back cut in the first quarter, before scoring two quick baskets, including a smooth turnaround jumper after backing down her defender in the corner. Her effort helped the Pack grow and maintain the lead, while also giving Khamil Pierre a spell on the bench.

From downtown 🤪 @destiny_kyshe pic.twitter.com/5gp8SF9aJA
— NC State WBB 🐺🏀 (@PackWomensBball) January 1, 2026

Lunan’s speed and ball-handling ability off the bench continued to be an asset for the Wolfpack, taking some of the pressure off of Jones and Zoe Brooks. Stanford stifled NC State for a couple of minutes in the second quarter, even taking a lead. However, Lunan buried a 3-pointer from the wing to regain the advantage, helping the Pack walk into the locker room up six at the half.

Cox finished the game with her seven first-half points, adding four rebounds and an assist. Lunan scored seven and hauled in three boards.

Defense, Defense

Nov 9, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack forward Tilda Trygger (18) looks to the basket 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

A loud Reynolds Coliseum crowd rallying behind a strong defensive performance from the Wolfpack can go a long way. Stanford, while not totally rattled, clearly was affected by the interior physicality of the Wolfpack, as well as the size of Tilda Trygger. NC State blocked four shots in the first half and eight in the game, with Trygger tallying two of them.

Junior guard Qadence Samuels stood tall with her perimeter defense, often matching against Stanford forward Courtney Ogden, who held a distinct size advantage over Samuels. Ogden was a major contributor to Stanford’s turnover woes throughout the afternoon. The Cardinal finished with 21 turnovers in the game, with the Wolfpack accumulating 24 points off of those giveaways.

FIRE US UP Q pic.twitter.com/v68MdB9rjk
— NC State WBB 🐺🏀 (@PackWomensBball) January 1, 2026

Stanford never looked comfortable in the half-court, tallying most of its points in the paint while struggling mightily from 3-point range. However, the Cardinal ramped up its defensive effort in the third quarter as it tried to mount a comeback after going down by as many as 10 points. The intensity of the Wolfpack defense overwhelmed Stanford at times.

Some of the best efforts on that end of the floor came in the third quarter from Moore’s group. NC State held the Cardinal to just 11 points, with Stanford failing to cross the 40-point mark after three quarters, stuck at 37. The away team tallied seven turnovers in those 10 minutes. However, Stanford's woes carried over into the fourth quarter as well, with the Cardinal scoring just nine points in the final 10 minutes of the game.

Balanced scoring effort

Quick four points to end the half 😤 pic.twitter.com/65jV2HHuvP
— NC State WBB 🐺🏀 (@PackWomensBball) January 1, 2026

NC State wasn’t overly reliant on any one player offensively, instead getting things done by committee. Brooks took over down the stretch, scoring 10 of her 18 points in the second half, while her backcourt partner Jones added 10 points of her own.

Trygger’s size helped on the offensive end as well, as the Swedish forward racked up 12 points and three offensive rebounds. The moment never felt too big for any of NC State’s stars, a positive sign after the Wolfpack crumbled in some closer games during the non-conference slate, particularly against USC and Oklahoma.

The Wolfpack never got things going from 3-point range, but it didn’t need to. The team shot an efficient 46.7% from the field, making 28-of-60 shots in the win. The group also succeeded in getting to the free-throw line frequently, knocking down 14-of-17 shots from the charity stripe, while Stanford finished with just six in the game.

Final word

FIRST W OF 2026 pic.twitter.com/G5A1kFYKXj
— NC State WBB 🐺🏀 (@PackWomensBball) January 1, 2026

The win moved the Wolfpack to 11-4 on the season with three wins already in conference play. It marked one of NC State’s best showings in Reynolds Coliseum during the 2025-26 season on both ends of the floor, as Moore’s group continued to show tremendous progress made since the early part of the campaign.

NC State will finish a set of matchups against the ACC’s Bay Area affiliates, as the Cal Golden Bears arrive for a bout with the Wolfpack on Sunday. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 2 P.M. EST.

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