Khamil Pierre Makes Tennessee Pay Again in NC State Debut
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RALEIGH — After spending her first two seasons in Nashville with the Vanderbilt Commodores, Khamil Pierre became familiar with many of the opponents in the SEC. It worked out for her, as she used that experience to help No. 9 NC State take down No. 8 Tennessee in her official Wolfpack debut.
The Vanderbilt transfer scored 21 points and hauled in 14 rebounds during the Wolfpack's 80-77 win over a high-octane Lady Volunteers squad.
Her scoring output was the exact same against Tennessee the last time she took the floor against Kim Caldwell's squad in the regular season. Pierre dominated her way through the third quarter to help NC State outlast Tennessee and prove herself to be the player Wes Moore wanted when he added her from the portal.
Inside Pierre's Performance
Pierre beat Tennessee twice in the 2024-25 season with Vanderbilt, scoring 21 the first time out and finishing with 16 points and 15 rebounds against the Lady Vols in the SEC Tournament later in March. Those performances helped the junior forward learn what she needed to know about Tennessee.
"I think it's just understanding personnel," Pierre said. "I've played them since I started in college basketball so it hasn't really been anything new."
You tuff twin 😮💨@KhamilPierre with the go-ahead basket 🫡 pic.twitter.com/QCFvbKwbH5
— NC State WBB 🐺🏀 (@PackWomensBball) November 5, 2025
Pierre helped keep the Wolfpack attached to Tennessee as the Volunteers took a 10-point lead at one point in the second quarter. She operated well in the post opposite Tilda Trygger, who scored 19 points herself. Because of Tennessee's high-octane press, Trygger and Pierre found themselves open behind the press several times. Pierre finished the first half with nine of her 21 points.
She took over in the third quarter. After getting an opportunity to catch her breath and adjust to the pace of the game, Pierre scored eight points in the third, making four of her six field goal attempts. She helped the Pack win the quarter 23-18 and go into the fourth quarter with a lead.
#HoopHeroines Top Performers:
— HoopHeroines (@hoopheroines) November 5, 2025
Khamil Pierre | @KhamilPierre | @PackWomensBball
21 points
9-of-19 fg's
3-of-5 ft's
14 rebounds
3 steals
0.91 PPP
...in 80-77 win over #8 Tennessee. pic.twitter.com/J8qGz6RQRB
After the game, Pierre didn't take much credit for helping her team prepare for the defensive onslaught Caldwell and the Vols throw at teams every night. Instead, she credited the veteran Wolfpack coaching staff.
"I think the whole team is able to adapt quickly to what competition we're about to face," Pierre said. "I can help them and tell them what to expect, but at the same time, the staff does that. I feel like we were able to adjust our press and just work on our team chemistry as a whole together and that's how we were able to figure it out."
Pierre wasn't as potent offensively in the Wolfpack's pair of exhibitions as Moore hoped when he added her. She admitted she was still learning the system and how to play with some of her new teammates like Zoe Brooks and Zam Jones, She looked like the player the veteran head coach went all-in on in the portal in the opener against Tennessee, however.
"Khamil, exactly what we were hoping to get. Somebody that can go out and get a double-double, score the ball, rebound, made some tough shots, got some big boards... Just really proud," Moore said.
Moore, Pierre and the Wolfpack will face another top-25 test on Sunday in Charlotte, as they are set to face No. 18 USC in the Ally Tipoff. While the veteran head coach was pleased with Pierre's performance in the opener, he thinks she's capable of even more.
"She can still be even better, you know. Think she got more in the tank. I think she can play a little bit harder. I think she can finish plays, run the court a little more, crash the boards a little more," Moore said. "Now, don't get me wrong, you know, hey, I love her."
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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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