North Carolina State University Athletics
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No. 25/24 NC State Outlasts Green Bay
11/27/2025 6:50:00 PM | Women's Basketball
RIVIERA MAYA, Mexico – The No. 25/24 NC State women's basketball team used a 14-4 run late in the fourth quarter to take care of business and beat Green Bay, 79-67, in the first of two games at the 2025 Cancun Challenge.
The Pack outrebounded Green Bay 49-30 with Khamil Pierre accounting for a career-high 21 of those boards. Pierre's 21 rebounds became the third most in a single game by a player for the Pack. She is the first Pack player since DD Rogers (vs. Georgetown in 2018) to pull down 20 boards in a game and the first player since 1992 (Rhonda Mapp vs. Georgia Tech) to log 21 rebounds in a contest.
Zoe Brooks led the Pack with 21 points and seven assists, as three players logged double digits in scoring and six scored at least seven.
NC State and Green Bay changed the lead eight times in the first six minutes of the game. Then the Pack got hot from deep, making four of its next five 3-point attempts, starting with a Devyn Quigley triple. At the end of the first, the Pack led, 22-14.
Midway through the second, the Pack cruised on an 11-4 run and after a Maddie Cox fadeaway, NC State led 33-21, forcing the Phoenix to take a timeout with 5:01 left in the second. Green Bay chipped into the lead, going on a 6-1 run to end the quarter and outscore the Pack in the second, 17-14.
Zamareya Jones scored the first four points for the Pack in the third quarter, but then Green Bay went on a 9-0 run to take its first lead since midway through the first quarter. After a three-minute scoring drought by the Pack, Qadence Samuels drained a triple, which was the start of one of the next four ties in the third. Jones banked in a 3-pointer at the buzzer to help the Pack take a 56-52 lead after three.
Brooks came up with a steal and score to begin fourth, but then Green Bay cut the lead to one. The Pack then made two straight baskets in response to lead 62-57 with 6:50 left in the game. The Phoenix cut the lead to two, but that was the closest Green Bay would get the rest of the game. NC State charged on a 14-4 run and after a Pierre layup, NC State had its largest lead of the game at 13 with 1:50 left. NC State defeated Green Bay 79-67 to get back in the winning column.
The Pack won the battle in the points in the paint (40-26), second chance points (17-9) and fast break points (6-0).
PACK PERFORMERS
- Pierre registered her fourth double-double of the season behind 12 points and a career-high 21 rebounds. Her 21 rebounds is the most by a player of the Pack since 1992 and she is the ninth player in school history to log 20+ boards in a game
- Pierre also logged a career-high three blocks
- Brooks paced the Pack with 21 points for her second 20-point game, along with three boards, seven assists and two steals
- Jones logged 17 points with three boards and two assists
- Trygger finished with nine points off 4-of-5 shooting from the field and eight boards
- Samuels added seven points, while Quigley registered eight points off the bench
- NC State shot 47.8 percent from the field (32-of-67), a season's best
UPCOMING
The Pack will play Southern Miss Friday, Nov. 28 at 4 p.m. to wrap up its games at the 2025 Cancun Challenge. The game will be streamed on FloHoops.
