Wolfpack Wilts Late: Rapid Reaction to Loss vs. USC

No. 9 NC State collapsed in the fourth quarter against No. 18 Southern Cal, as the Trojans ripped off an 8-0 run in the last four minutes to take down the Wolfpack 69-68 at the Ally Tipoff.

Despite 24 points from star guard Zoe Brooks and a double-double from Vanderbilt transfer Khamil Pierre, NC State couldn't hang on to a seven-point advantage down the stretch. Turnovers and missed foul shots ended up being the end of the Wolfpack's chances for another ranked win.

On this episode of the NC State Insider Podcast, get lead beat writer Tucker Sennett's reactions after being at the game in the Spectrum Center in Charlotte.

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NC State head coach Wes Moore knew his team would be tested in the early portion of its non-conference schedule. With two games against ranked opponents in the first week, those tests showed both strengths and weaknesses. Find out what Moore had to say after the USC loss here:

From his opening statement after the 69-68 loss

"Just a tough one to handle. We kind of let it get away from us, so tip your hat to Southern Cal. They made plays down the stretch. They outscored us 19-10 in the fourth quarter. Again, we had obviously a little bit of a lead there and just couldn't finish it off."

"As a coach, I've got to make sure I do the best job I can to put them in a position to close that game out, but again, tough loss. You've got a lead and an opportunity and you've just got to make plays down the stretch and find a way to win that game."

Nov 9, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Southern California Trojans guard Malia Samuels (10) competes for the ball against NC State Wolfpack guard Zoe Brooks (35) during the third quarter of the Ally Tipoff game at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images | Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images

On if his team cleaned some of the issues from the Tennessee game up during the week

"No... I told them we've got to do a better job in practice... I've got to, you know, make sure that I hold them accountable and that we're focused and attention in practice is where it needs to be. We had a lot of breakdowns down the stretch and at the end of the day, that's on me."

"But again, Zoe (Brooks) had a great game, 10-for-20 from the field... I knew it then... Probably should have had her coming off the pick instead of throwing the ball in, so something I've got to look at. But we had some breakdowns, you know, on the side out-of-bounds play that they scored on. Some things that we traditionally try to do we didn't get done there..."

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