No. 10 NC State Leans on Interior to Top Maine 66-47 in Home Opener

Interior defense plus rebounding carried the Wolfpack despite cold perimeter shooting.

Overview

Khamil Pierre posted 18 points and 10 rebounds, with support from Zoe Brooks (14) and Zamareya Jones (10).
A 14-0 burst late in the second quarter pushed NC State to a comfortable cushion before the break.
The Wolfpack went 3-for-20 from beyond the arc, extending an early-season shooting slump.
Maine shot 29% as Asta Blauenfeldt scored 16 and Adrianna Smith logged 11 points and 10 rebounds, with only eight turnovers but just 1-for-3 at the line.
NC State controlled the paint and the boards, outrebounding Maine 54-36 and holding the Black Bears to 37.8% on two-point attempts, and next hosts No. 17 TCU on Sunday.