North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State
13-5,6-1ACC
Wake Forest
12-7,2-5ACC
Women’s Basketball Overcomes 15-Point Deficit to Defeat Wake Forest
1/15/2026 8:34:00 PM | Women's Basketball
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The NC State women's basketball team was down by as many as 15, but used a 32-point third quarter and 52-point second half to defeat the Demon Deacons, 95-77. NC State made a season-high 11 3-pointers, outrebounded Wake Forest (42-21) and dominated in second-chance points (20-3) in the road win.
The Pack has improved to 13-5 and 6-1 in ACC play, while picking up its 13th straight win over Wake Forest. The 15-point comeback marked the largest of the season and first time since Jan. 20, 2022 vs. Louisville that NC State rallied for a 15+ point deficit.
NC State was fueled by balanced scoring with four in double digits, led by Khamil Pierre's 26. Pierre (26 points and 14 rebounds) and Tilda Trygger (18 points and 13 rebounds) delivered each of their third consecutive double-doubles and Zamareya Jones tallied 20 points, including a career-high six 3-pointers. Zoe Brooks finished with 16 points and nine assists with no turnovers.
NC State started the game 4-of-4 from the field, including back-to-back jumpers from Pierre. Wake Forest came out even hotter, shooting 80 percent from the field (12-of-15) and 7-of-7 from beyond the arc in the first quarter. The first 6:05 of the game had eight lead changes and two ties. The Pack trailed 22-19 with 3:55 left in the first. NC State was held in a three-minute scoring drought, and the Demon Deacons finished the quarter with a 14-4 run. The Pack trailed by as many as 12 in the first, but Jones knocked down a jumper before the end of the quarter to trail 33-23.
The Pack cut the deficit to six off four free throws, but the Demon Deacons responded with a 9-0 run to extend its lead to 15. Trailing 42-27 with 5:34 left in the second, NC State called a timeout. NC State got its first field goal of the quarter out of the break, as Brooks found Trygger underneath. The Pack went on a 7-0 run, but the Demon Deacons knocked down a triple to extend its lead back to 11. Jones knocked down a 3-pointer before the buzzer, and the Pack trailed 49-43 at the half.
Out of the locker room, Jones knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to tie the game and then Pierre delivered a layup to give the Pack its first lead since early in the first quarter. The Pack's 8-0 run to start the quarter took just 1.5 minutes and Wake called a timeout, as NC State retook the lead, 51-49. NC State then went on an 8-0 run, as Jones made her fifth triple of the game and Pierre came up with a layup. The Pack led 61-51 with five minutes left in the quarter. Wake Forest cut the lead to seven and Tilda Trygger responded with the Pack's eighth 3-pointer of the game, sparking a 7-0 run, as NC State led 70-56, and the Demon Deacons called a timeout with 2:26 left in the third. After another Trygger 3-pointer, NC State led by 17, but Wake finished the quarter with four straight points. NC State used a 32-point third quarter to lead 75-62 after three.
NC State continued to roll, starting the fourth quarter on a 12-0 run. A 3-pointer and layup off a steal from Destiny "Ky'She" Lunan and a Qadence Samuels layup extended the Pack's lead to 25, 87-62, with 6:49 left in the game. Wake Forest scored its first basket of the fourth quarter off a 3-pointer and went on a 15-2 run to cut the lead to 12. NC State called a timeout, up 89-77 with 3:18 left in the game. Brooks drove to the basket for two and NC State finished the game on a 6-0 run to win 95-77.
PACK PERFORMERS
- Pierre scored a season-best 26 points on 12-of-17 shooting (70 percent) to go with 14 rebounds for her third consecutive game with a double-double
- Jones had the second 20+ point outing of her career, finishing the win with 20 points powered by a career-high 6-of-10 shooting (60 percent) from beyond the arc. The sophomore also added five assists, and two rebounds, and two steals
- Trygger had her third straight game with a double-double, recording 18 points and a career-best 13 rebounds
- Brooks dished out a season-high nine assists to go with 16 points in the victory
- Brooks also surpassed assistant coach Kayla Jones on the all-time scoring list, now with 1,084 in her career, which is No. 35
- Samuels provided an all-around night with eight points, six rebounds and a career-high five assists
- Lunan added five points and three steals off the bench
- After heading into the locker room at halftime down 49-43, the Pack came out and outscored Wake Forest, 32-13, in the third quarter for its highest scoring quarter of the season
- After shooting 54.5 percent against SMU (Jan. 11), NC State shot 51.5 percent from the field tonight, marking the first time the Pack have shot 50+ percent from the field in back-to-back games since the 2023-24 season
- NC State doubled up Wake Forest on rebounds with 42 compared to the Demon Deacon's 21
- As a team the Pack dished out a season-high 24 assists, led by Brooks' nine
- NC State forced 11 Demon Deacon turnovers, turning them into 17 points. Meanwhile, the Pack turned the ball over just eight times for its sixth game of the season with single-digit turnovers
- The Pack held a +17 margin in second-chance points, 20-3
- The Wolfpack's 15-point comeback was its largest of the season and first time since Jan. 20, 2022 vs. Louisville that NC State rallied for a 15+ point deficit
- NC State poured in a season-best 11 3-pointers in the win for its first game with at least 10 threes since 15 against Michigan State on March 24, 2025
- The Pack has now won nine of its last 10 games
UPCOMING
NC State will go back home to host No. 9/10 Louisville at Reynolds Coliseum on Sunday, Jan. 18 at 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2.
