Instant observations: NC State's comeback bid falls short in loss to No. 25 UNC

It seemed like NC State was down on the mat like a fighter that had too much to handle in a 10-round bout. North Carolina delivered blow after blow down the stretch, and the Wolfpack's tired legs appeared to catch up to the team. All but one of its starters, after all, played nearly the entire game with just two subs being deployed by coach Wes Moore. But instead of wilting down 10 with 4:20 to play, NC State found another gear to will itself back into the fight. The Wolfpack went on a 7-0 run in the final two minutes to pull within a bucket inside the last 30 seconds, but it didn't have enough to complete the comeback effort. Sophomore guard Zam Jones had an open look from 3-point distance with three seconds to play that would have put NC State up 1 out of a timeout, but it missed the mark. The Wolfpack couldn't corral the offensive rebound to fall 61-59 on Monday night in the 21st annual Play4Kay Game at Reynolds Coliseum. Junior forward Khamil Pierre led the Pack with 14 points and 15 rebounds, while junior post Tilda Trygger added 11 and junior guard Qadence Samuels chipped in with 10. NC State, as a team, shot 37.1 percent from the field, while UNC turned in a 42.6 percent clip. The Tar Heels were able to use the free throw line to their advantage by hitting nine of their 14 attempts, while the Wolfpack made its two lone attempts from the stripe in the one-possession loss. Here are TheWolfpacker.com’s observations from the defeat.