Wes Moore Details Issues for NC State in Loss to UNC
In this story:
RALEIGH — After his team's 61-59 loss to North Carolina, NC State head coach Wes Moore found himself and his program in unfamiliar territory. The loss marked the Wolfpack's first loss to the Tar Heels in Reynolds Coliseum since 2019. It dropped Moore's team to 15-7 overall and 8-3 in league play.
While the young Wolfpack team showed some areas of growth, it also fell back into old habits that ultimately cost it the game. At times, it looks like NC State takes one step forward and two steps back. A frustrated and disappointed Moore tried to make sense of what went wrong for his team throughout the game, particularly in the third quarter when the Pack made just three field goals.
Watch Moore and junior forward Khamil Pierre speak after the loss
Moore's thoughts on the loss
From a defensive standpoint, the result is fairly shocking for NC State. The Wolfpack hasn't been an elite unit on that end of the court consistently, instead relying on dominant offensive performances in many games. A 61-point effort from the Tar Heels shouldn't have been enough to outmatch Moore's team, especially at home. Even so, the improved defense showed the growth of the Wolfpack so far.
"I thought tonight we did some good things. We're coming off a game where we gave up 84 points," Moore said. "I thought tonight we did a better job. Still frustrating that certain players... We let them do what they like to do... I think we're making progress. We've just got to make sure we stick together, like I said and we realize we still have time... We need to win games."
Zam finds Khamil & Reynolds is FIRED UP pic.twitter.com/b5MTZDc935
— NC State WBB 🐺🏀 (@PackWomensBball) February 3, 2026
After going down by as many as 10 points, the Wolfpack roared back. Khamil Pierre scored a flurry of buckets in the post after struggling through much of the game. Then, a 3-point shot from the corner fell courtesy of Qadence Samuels. The ability to battle back and get into the fight with under three minutes to play showed tremendous promise in Moore's eyes.
"I'm proud of our kids... I'm proud of the way they fought... It's just killing me as a coach," Moore said. "We've lost three or four games like this now, and so then you second-guess every decision you made or make at the end and all throughout the game even, so it's tough and heartbreaking and you feel like you're letting people down."
Moore expanded on the feeling of disappointment, both in himself and for letting down NC State fans and other parts of the program. However, there is still time to turn things around and the Wolfpack won't quit under his watch.
"We're not used to losing. I think six of the last seven years, we've finished top 10 in the country," he said. "This is hard to swallow right now, but I just try to remind them right now, afterwards, we're that close... We've played one of the toughest schedules in the country and, yeah, we've come up short in several of these. We've got to find a way to get over the hump."
Want more NC State basketball content throughout the year? Follow @WolfpackOnSI and @SennettTucker on X (Twitter) and never miss another breaking news story again.
Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE
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.
Follow SennettTucker