No. 10 NC State Falls at Home to No. 17 TCU
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RALEIGH — No. 10 NC State fell to 2-2 after a disastrous third quarter dug a hole too deep to climb out of against No. 17 TCU. The Horned Frogs hung on despite a late push from the Wolfpack and ultimately won 69-59.
A late run cut TCU’s lead to seven, but forward Tilda Trygger couldn’t come up with a critical offensive rebound with around a minute left in the game.
TCU’s shot-making ability and interior defense proved to be the difference in the game, as the Horned Frogs made key threes when they needed to, while the Wolfpack struggled scoring with any consistency. While another ranked loss won’t hurt NC State’s resume and hopes for a better season too much, some major issues continue to plague the Wolfpack.
Like a Broken Record, Until It Wasn’t
Slow starts are becoming a habit for NC State to the point where it's starting to sound like a broken record. The Wolfpack opened the first quarter shooting 2-of-16 from the field, but hung around because of some strong defense. Eventually, Zoe Brooks found her footing by driving at the TCU bigs and getting to the free-throw line.
The Pack finished the quarter on an 8-0 run to cut the TCU lead to two. Brooks ended the quarter by finding Tilda Trygger on a sideline out-of-bounds play, which Trygger repaid by drilling a mid-range jumper falling away from the basket with less than a second left on the clock.
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The two teams each made 13 field goals in the first half, but the fourth made three by the Horned Frogs and six made free throws made the difference. The Pack only made two of its six free throws, continuing a trend that has concerned Wes Moore throughout the early part of the season.
NC State did hold a distinct advantage on the offensive glass. Despite TCU’s roster including several players 6-foot-5 or taller, the Wolfpack pulled down 12 offensive rebounds to the Horned Frogs’ six in the first two quarters. Qadence Samuels accounted for three of those boards in the first half.
Unsung Heroes Play to the Crowd
Getting the Reynolds Coliseum crowd into the fight was crucial if the Wolfpack wanted to get another ranked win. A 9-0 run early in the second quarter did just that, as the crowd lived and died with every Wolfpack possession.
Freshman guard Destiny Lunan and junior forward Maddie Cox came off the bench in relief of Pierre and Jones and did more than their fair share to help the Pack. Lunan finished a pair of brilliant layups inside, while Cox made an enormous momentum three in transition to tie the game at 20 apiece.
Moore turned to sophomore center Lorena Awou in some spurts to help slow down the onslaught from TCU’s oversized front-court options.
Struggling Wolves
Two members of the NC State starting five particularly struggled in the afternoon affair. Guard Zam Jones and forward Khamil Pierre were unable to knock down shots with any consistency, with Pierre starting the game 1-for-8 from the field and Jones going scoreless through three quarters.
As TCU’s lead grew, the lack of production from the two key figures became even more apparent, forcing Moore to turn to more members of his bench and lean harder on Trygger and Brooks.
The third quarter turned into a nightmare for the Wolfpack. With shots from the perimeter not falling with consistency and the paint buttoned up by TCU’s size, the Horned Frogs outscored NC State 20-9. The Pack made just three shots in the period.
Pierre finally came alive in the fourth quarter when the Pack needed her most. Six points to start the quarter weren’t enough to make up for her slow start. The Vanderbilt transfer finished with eight points and scored the 1000th point of her career.
Two Stars for TCU
Entering the game, Notre Dame transfer Olivia Miles was a major point of emphasis for the Pack. Miles made an impact with eight points in the first half, but it was veteran forward Marta Suarez who exposed the Wolfpack the most.
Suarez finished the first half with 15 points and made a pair of threes to help the Horned Frogs finish the second quarter on a 10-0 run and go into the locker room with a 36-31 lead. The forward got under Pierre’s skin defensively and proved to be a significant factor in Pierre’s 1-for-8 start from the field. Suarez finished with 26 points, three rebounds and two assists.
Miles took over with a personal 5-0 run midway through the third quarter, as the Wolfpack struggled to contain her off the dribble. The guard finished the win with 15 points and 14 rebounds.
Final Word
NC State's leading guards, Brooks and Jones, combined for six points, all of them coming from Brooks. Trygger and Lunan scored 15 and 10, making them the only two members of the Wolfpack with more than 10 in the game.
The Wolfpack will get another break between games and not play again until Wednesday, although it's likely the team will fall further in the rankings after another split week.
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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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