Pierre Stepping Up at the Right Time For NC State

RALEIGH — As her team struggled to generate offense against No. 9 Duke in Thursday's loss, NC State forward Khamil Pierre battled her way to 24 points and kept her team alive deep into the third quarter. While she came up short in that game, she carried over that monster effort into another crucial matchup on Sunday, with Syracuse arriving to face the Wolfpack.

Pierre starred in NC State's 82-69 win over the Orange, a victory that helped the Pack's quest for a top four seed in the ACC Tournament greatly. The Vanderbilt transfer is peaking at the right time, even in a season that she personally believes isn't up to her standards.

A scoring surge at the right time

KP with the finish down low 😤

Back up 10 with 3:29 left in the third pic.twitter.com/d7PLL82uut
— NC State WBB 🐺🏀 (@PackWomensBball) February 22, 2026

While the Wolfpack is 2-2 in its last four games, Pierre's level of play has shown no signs of slowing down. The junior scored 91 points across that stretch, including a team-high 25 points and 15 rebounds against the Orange on Sunday. Even as a candidate for numerous major awards across the sport, Pierre doesn't feel as though she's put her best foot forward until recently.

"I think I haven't had the best season, so I think I'm just kind of motivated to try to finish off strong going into the summer," she said.

The performance against Syracuse marked her 18th double-double of the season and her 22nd consecutive game scoring in double figures. While sometimes coming across as quiet, Pierre picks her moments to show her teeth well, often setting an edge physically in the paint for the Wolfpack when the team needs it most.

KP AND-1 pic.twitter.com/RhlNToUwtA
— NC State WBB 🐺🏀 (@PackWomensBball) February 22, 2026

For Moore, there's never been a question about the forward's level of play. When her effort level was called into question after her performance against Duke, a game in which she scored 24 points and led NC State, he defended her.

"Khamil played quite a few minutes tonight, so that probably affected her some," Moore said on Thursday. "I do think for the first two or three quarters, she was the one that was getting in there, working hard to get a post up and get the ball. That probably did wear her down some."

That sentiment didn't change between games, especially after she posted yet another double-double. The coach called Pierre an "unbelievably talented player" following her performance against the Orange.

Getting things going in the fourth 💪 pic.twitter.com/5lgmOFCpbO
— NC State WBB 🐺🏀 (@PackWomensBball) February 22, 2026

A defining factor in many of NC State's losses has been a lack of ball movement. When Pierre is forced into playing more one-on-one basketball, her efficiency tends to dip, even with her production staying high. That all changed on Sunday, as the Wolfpack racked up 16 assists after finishing with five against Duke. It all led to a better performance for Pierre.

"Coach really emphasized that the games we'd been losing, we've been low on the assists numbers and we haven't been moving the ball and we went back to playing one-on-one," she said. "Clearly, he was right. As soon as we started moving the ball, we had multiple people in double-digit points. Looks were easier. It just felt easier. For me personally, it wasn't as much pounding."

Khamil Pierre’s last four games:

25 PTS | 12 RBS | 2 STL
17 PTS | 11 RBS | 1 STL
24 PTS | 5 RBS | 2 STL
25 PTS | 15 RBS | 2 STL

Pierre is averaging (22.8) points, (10.8) rebounds, and (1.8) steals over her last four games! ✨ pic.twitter.com/hAxxs9W7S1
— I talk hoops 🏀 (@trendyhoopstars) February 22, 2026

Pierre and NC State are ready for the home stretch. The Wolfpack faces two more league opponents, needing a pair of wins to secure the all-important double bye in the ACC Tournament. Even after some struggles, Pierre remains confident in her team.

"It doesn't matter who the team is," Pierre said. "A win is a win, so we have to get as many as we can."

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