Wes Moore Details NC State's Key Win Over Syracuse
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RALEIGH — NC State women's basketball coach Wes Moore called for a stronger effort all-around from his team after Thursday's loss to No. 9 Duke. The Wolfpack turned it around with a much stronger performance in a key matchup against Syracuse on Sunday, as the Orange stood in between the Pack and a strong chance at a double bye in the ACC Tournament.
Moore had very different feelings about his team on Sunday, as it controlled the flow of the game successfully in the first half. NC State built up a sizable advantage and rode that wave to an 82-69 victory over the Orange. Strong performances from Zoe Brooks and Khamil Pierre propelled the Pack to the win and it now controls its own destiny.
Watch Moore's press conference following the 82-69 victory
Moore's postgame thoughts
Second-half collapses defined key games for the Wolfpack throughout the 2025-26 season. There were a number of occasions where NC State allowed teams to shoot their way back into games and ultimately crumbled down the stretch. After leading by as many as 19 points, the Wolfpack let Syracuse cut it down to six points in the third quarter, but pulled away when it mattered most.
"I'd rather not have gone through it, but if you have to go through it, I'm glad we pulled out on the other side," Moore said. "This team, we're still learning. We're running out of time, though. It was a big game, obviously. They were technically ahead of us in the standings. ... There was a lot on the line. ... I'm glad we're finally able to get back in here and hopefully we can get a little momentum going."
In the loss to Duke, the Wolfpack struggled to generate quality possessions offensively and finished the game with just five assists. The team flipped the script against Syracuse, moving the ball much more effectively, which got players involved across the roster. NC State finished with 16 assists in the win.
"We had five assists Thursday night. We had nine at halftime (on Sunday)," Moore said. "I'm a little disappointed that we ended up with that many turnovers, but we did share the ball much better. Penetrate and kick, swung it, make the extra pass. Definitely was something we've been trying to emphasize. ... I think we've got unselfish kids. They don't mind sharing it."
The improved ball movement helped the NC State frontcourt improve its efficiency. Pierre and sophomore forward Tilda Trygger were forces in the paint, with Pierre leading the Wolfpack with 25 points and 15 rebounds. Her effort was spurred on by quality passing and paint entry passes from guards like Brooks and Zam Jones, who helped Pierre pick apart the Syracuse zone.
"I thought (Pierre) did a great job... Of trying to find gaps and that sort of thing," Moore said. "We wanted our guards to get downhill and force the zone to half to shift. ... Khamil is an unbelievably talented player, whether it's scoring on the block, around the rim, or whether it's on the boards."
NC State also made improvements on the glass after being dominated in the rebounding battle by Duke. While Syracuse flattened the Wolfpack's rebounding advantage in the second half, Moore's group still outrebounded the Orange 43 to 36 and tied the Orange with 14 offensive rebounds despite the visitors being the top offensive rebounding team in the ACC.
"The first half was unbelievable," Moore said. "When I look at it this time of year, I'm looking at stats from just conference games. They're No. 1 in offensive rebounding. At halftime, they had gone and got one offensive rebound. Unfortunately, they went and got 10 in the second half. ... We've got to get all five players involved on defensive boards."
WOLFPACK WINS 🔥@BMWUSA pic.twitter.com/bDVzBuNkd0
— NC State WBB 🐺🏀 (@PackWomensBball) February 22, 2026
Sunday marked the kind of response Moore needed from his team. It came at the right time, but the Wolfpack can't afford to lose focus down the stretch. Two games remain on the schedule for NC State, beginning with the Reynolds Coliseum finale against Wake Forest on Thursday. After that, the Wolfpack heads to Western Pennsylvania to face Pitt. Wins in both games should secure a double-bye for the Moore and the Pack in the ACC Tournament.
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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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