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Trygger, Pierre Lead NC State to Upset of Tennessee

Lawrence Davis III @LawDavis13 @SpecMagSports

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The No. 9/8 NC State women’s basketball team came up with big plays down the stretch to defeat No. 8/9 Tennessee, 80-77, in the Ro Greensboro Invitational at First Horizon Coliseum. NC State had four players in double figures led by Khamil Pierre’s double-double of 21 points and 14 rebounds. She was named the MVP of the event. The Pack’s season opening victory marked the Pack’s fourth consecutive and 12th in the last 13 years.

In the final 2.5 minutes of play, the lead changed four times and with 46 seconds left, Pierre came up with the go-ahead basket off a fast break. NC State came up with two stops on defense, Tilda Trygger came up with a big offensive board and Zamareya Jones came up clutch with two made free throws to pull out the three-point top 10 victory.

In a game that resembled a track meet, the Pack and Lady Vols changed leads three times in the first quarter, as the Pack led 25-24 after one. Midway through the first, NC State got on a roll, making three straight field goals, including a 3-pointer by Trygger to lead by as many as six in the first. Trygger led the Pack with nine points after the first.

Tennessee began the second quarter on an 8-0 run and led by as many as 10. After a two-minute drought for the Pack, Trygger delivered with a basket through contact for an and-1 and Jones hit a tough jumper. The Pack made a pair of freebies in the remaining minute of the half to cut the deficit to four, as NC State trailed 44-40 at the half.

The Pack retook the lead with a Trygger layup off a Ky’she Lunan dish, who then followed with a 3-pointer for her first collegiate points. This sparked an 11-0 run and after a coast-to-coast layup by Lunan, the Pack led 58-50 with 5:05 left in the third for its largest lead of the game. The Lady Vols then went on a 7-0 run to cut the Pack lead to one until Pierre knocked down back-to-back jumpers. Following a Tennessee triple, NC State took a 63-62 lead going into the fourth.

Qadence Samuels helped the Pack go up by four with a 3-pointer, while Tennessee was in two-minute scoring drought to start the fourth. Tennessee then went on a 7-0 run to retake the lead with 3:36 left. Jones responded with a 3-pointer to tie at 72. The lead changed four times in the remaining 2:15 and Pierre delivered the go-ahead basket with 46 seconds left. The Pack came up with a stop on defense and after a miss by the Pack, Trygger came up with an offensive rebound and NC State was able to dribble out the ball before Jones was fouled with two seconds left. Jones sunk her two free throws and the Lady Vols were not able to get a shot off with 1.9 seconds on the clock. NC State squeezed out the 80-77 win.