Which Members of the Wolfpack Stood Out in UNC Loss?

RALEIGH — NC State women's basketball had a major chance to overcome its woes against ranked opponents in Reynolds Coliseum on Monday, hosting No. 25 North Carolina for the program's Play4Kay celebration game. Head coach Wes Moore and the Wolfpack couldn't get over the hump once again, falling just short of a win in a 61-59 thriller.

The defensive nature of the game hurt the performances of some of the Wolfpack's best individuals, slowing down star guards Zoe Brooks and Zam Jones greatly. That placed more pressure on other members of the team to step up in their place and try to have some production to get NC State across the finish line. Obviously, the Pack didn't get enough, but it still got a pair of promising outings.

Pierre finishes strong after slow start

Zam finds Khamil & Reynolds is FIRED UP pic.twitter.com/b5MTZDc935
— NC State WBB 🐺🏀 (@PackWomensBball) February 3, 2026

While it was far from her most efficient game, junior forward Khamil Pierre still found ways to make an impact for the Wolfpack. She was a crucial part of the team's comeback attempt in the fourth quarter. Trailing by as many as 10 points, Pierre finally created some space in the post after struggling to do so through much of the game, scoring six of her team-high 14 points in the final 10 minutes. Still, it was a frustrating performance.

"I don't think we really attacked the rim as much as we should have," Pierre said. "I know personally, for me, I wasn't really aggressive down to the rim. I feel like every game is kind of physical, so I don't feel like this one stuck out at all."

Getting ready for game time 🩷 pic.twitter.com/RD3tjMCzRa
— NC State WBB 🐺🏀 (@PackWomensBball) February 2, 2026

Pierre was dominant on the glass for the Wolfpack, racking up 15 rebounds in the loss. That total helped her get to her 14th double-double of the season, moving her into a tie for eighth-most in NC State program history. While she could not get her team over the hump, she battled down the stretch, keeping the Pack in the fight.

Samuels starts and finishes strong

Junior guard Qadence Samuels was a menace out of the gate for the Wolfpack. Her activity in the early part of the game proved problematic for a struggling North Carolina team on both ends, as her length bothered Tar Heel shooters defensively and allowed her to haul in several rebounds quickly. She scored seven points in the first 10 minutes before taking a backseat throughout the rest of the game.

Trailing by five in the fourth quarter, Samuels caught a pass in the corner in transition. While shooting was something she and Moore expected to be a strength throughout the 2025-26 season, it had been more of a struggle up to that point. Still, she fired away and buried the clutch 3-pointer to cut the deficit to just two points late. While it wasn't ultimately enough, the confidence boost for Samuels should be significant.

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