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Wes Moore disappointed in NC State's preparation in loss to Miami

On3 imageby:Ethan McDowell•01/18/24•

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Wes Moore
GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 02: Head coach Wes Moore of the NC State Wolfpack directs his team against the Syracuse Orange during the first half of their game in the second round of the ACC Women's Basketball Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum on March 02, 2023 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

No. 4 NC State played like it practiced in the week leading up to its matchup against Miami, and that’s not a good thing. Head coach Wes Moore made it clear that the Pack did not prepare well for its ACC road game, and the 73-59 loss reflected that. 

The Wolfpack trailed by double digits after the first quarter against the Hurricanes after shooting 4 for 20 from the field, while also allowing its opponent to hit 75 percent of its attempts. NC State started slow on the road and never recovered. 

After coming into this game ranked No. 4 in the Associated Press Poll top-25, the Wolfpack will likely fall in the poll. The program’s elevated ranking means NC State will get its opponent’s best effort in each contest. 

Moore said the Pack did not prepare for that Thursday night matchup. 

“You’re going to get everybody’s A-game, and you’ve got to be able to respond to that,” Moore said on WKNC after the game. “You’ve got to be tough enough, mentally, physically tough enough, to handle that and we weren’t. They were stronger than us, they were more aggressive than us and, when things went bad, we didn’t handle that well either.”

Moore was clearly frustrated by the Wolfpack’s second loss in three games. This was also the program’s second ACC road defeat in a row. For NC State, the final result goes back to its week away from competition. 

The team took time to rest and recuperate during its bye week during the gauntlet of the ACC calendar. When it was time to hit the practice court in the days leading up to the Miami game, the Pack did not execute up to Moore’s standard. 

“We turned the ball over the last two days in practice, so we came out here and turned it over today,” Moore said. “We didn’t guard. I mean, let’s face it. They just took us off the bounce about any time they wanted. Gotta have a little bit of pride. You’ve got to be determined to keep your man in front of you at some point.”

NC State turned the ball over 16 times but forced 18 Miami miscues as well. The Hurricanes capitalized off of those mistakes, scoring 22 points off of turnovers. Miami also dominated inside, an area where the Wolfpack has thrived in most of its games this year, scoring 38 points in the paint compared to NC State’s 16. 

Freshman guard Laci Steele (13 minutes), freshman forward Maddie Cox (10 minutes) and graduate center Lizzy Williamson (2 minutes) were the only bench players to receive minutes for the Pack Thursday night. 

Moore broke down how performance can impact the rotation after the loss. 

“You’ve got to earn things,” Moore said. “When you’re turning the ball over, I need to sub. When you’re not shooting the ball well, I need to sub and probably needed to do more than I did.”

Graduate forward Mimi Collins led the team with 18 points, and junior guard Saniya Rivers scored 17. The Pack shot 28.1 percent from the field, which Moore attributed to the team’s stagnant offense. 

He said the Hurricanes threw a variety of zone defenses at NC State, and the team spent too much time standing around. 

“We weren’t aggressive, attacking, getting downhill,” Moore said. “We settled for jump shots and threes instead of trying to make something happen in the gaps of the zone. It comes back on me too. We weren’t prepared.”

The head coach said the Wolfpack spends a lot of time on the game planning process, and he wants to see that reflected on the court more consistently moving forward. 

NC State returns to the court Sunday, Jan. 21, for a noon tip off against Duke. The Blue Devils upset No. 14 Virginia Tech Thursday night.

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