Wolfpack Seeks Signature Win Over No. 9 Duke
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RALEIGH — Wes Moore and NC State women's basketball face one of their biggest tests of the 2025-26 season when they head down the road to face the No. 9 Duke Blue Devils for what could be the Wolfpack's last contest against a ranked foe. It comes at a point in the season for State in which the team needs a win desperately.
After starting the season below the standard set by coach Kara Lawson, Duke is in the midst of a 16-game win streak. The Wolfpack is heading into the belly of the beast, trying to snap one of the nation's longest streaks for its hottest team.
What to know about Duke
Before the 2025-26 season got underway, Duke received the most offseason praise, ultimately being picked as the preseason champion in the ACC media poll. The Blue Devils came into the season having returned much of the core that contributed to the program's Elite Eight run in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
14 of Duke's 19 wins have come against ACC competition, signifying a team that hit its stride at the right time of year. 6-foot-2 sophomore forward Toby Fournier leads Duke in the scoring department, averaging 17.5 rebounds and 8 rebounds a night while shooting 54.2% from the field.
Four different members of the Blue Devil roster score in double figures on a game-to-game basis, including Fournier. However, it's not offense that makes Lawson's teams go, it's the other end of things. ACC opponents are scoring a dismal 54.6 points against the Blue Devils, good for the best scoring defense in the ACC. That number allowed Duke to build a 24-point margin between its offense and defense.
Duke is a slightly better rebounding team when compared to the Wolfpack, edging out the total rebounding average by less than one board per game. The Blue Devils force 18.4 turnovers per game to go along with the dominant scoring defense and impressive rebounding, making them one of the most defensively sound teams in the country.
Can the Wolfpack stun the Blue Devils?
Leaving Cameron Indoor Stadium with an upset victory will be a massive task for the Wolfpack. NC State has just one ranked win to this point in the season, but came up painfully short in several opportunities outside of that lone victory over Tennessee to open the season. It all comes down to guard play for the Wolfpack.
If Zoe Brooks and Zam Jones are up to the task of carrying the scoring load against the Blue Devils, the Pack might have a shot. Sophomore forward Tilda Trygger struggled to generate much offensive production throughout the last few weeks. If the guards can combine for a big night to support leading scorer Khamil Pierre inside, that might force Duke into more of a track meet type of game than it's used to.
The game is scheduled for 7 P.M. EST, with the broadcast happening on ESPN.
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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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