No. 9 NC State leans on Pierre, Jones to beat No. 8 Tennessee after losing last year’s star guards

By Canadian Press on November 4, 2025.

GREENSBORO, N,C. (AP) — It wasn’t long after No. 9 N.C. State edged No. 8 Tennessee that Wolfpack sophomore guard Zamareya Jones weighed in on how her team hung on.

“We’re all dogs,” she said.

The comment drew an eye roll from her coach a seat over.

“The question is what kind of dog,” Wes Moore said, drawing chuckles. “There’s Chihuahuas and there’s dobermans.”

There was no question about that in the last two years, with gamers like Aziaha James and Saniya Rivers forming a star backcourt that helped the Wolfpack win 58 games and reach a Final Four. They’re gone now, but Moore got the first sign of who might be ready to step up in the clutch between Jones’ fourth-quarter play and the strong debut of Vanderbilt transfer Khamil Pierre in Tuesday’s 80-77 win.

Pierre had 21 points and 14 rebounds, including the go-ahead layup in the final minute. Jones had nine of her 18 points in the fourth quarter, including key free throws with 1.9 seconds left.

It came a little more than a week after the Wolfpack beat No. 10 Maryland in an exhibition here in Greensboro, located about 75 miles west of the Wolfpack’s Raleigh campus and frequent home to the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament.

The 6-foot-2 Pierre averaged 20.4 points and 9.6 rebounds last season with the Commodores, including going for 37 points and 23 rebounds in two meetings against the Lady Vols in the Southeastern Conference. Then the junior added another big output to form a strong frontcourt tandem with sophomore Tilda Trygger (18 points), prompting Lady Vols coach Kim Caldwell to say: “We can’t seem to find her a box out. And if we do get a stop, she’ll go get it and put it back in.”

“I think it’s just understanding personnel,” Pierre said of facing Tennessee again. “I’ve played them since I started in college basketball so it hasn’t really been anything new.”

As for the 5-7 Jones, she had 10 games with double-digit scoring outputs as a freshman, including in the NCAA second-round win against Michigan State and the Sweet 16 loss to LSU. She stepped up at the right time in this one, notably hitting a tying 3-pointer with 3:21 left and scoring seven straight points for the Wolfpack as the game hung in the balance.

Her 18 points matched her freshman high against Louisville last year.

It’s one game, but a positive first step heading into Sunday’s game against No. 18 USC in Charlotte.

“I’ve told y’all this: A lot of times I just got out of the way,” Moore said of having veterans like James, Rivers and the departed Madison Hayes. “Just let them play and don’t try to slow them down by getting too cute.”

“Games like this, games like the Maryland exhibition game, they’re going to help you grow up.”

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Aaron Beard, The Associated Press