Instant observations: No. 10 NC State outmatched in loss to No. 17 TCU

NC State tends to go as its star players do. For the past few years, that meant Aziaha James and Saniya Rivers were tasked with carrying the load for a top-10 Wolfpack squad. But in the first season without that star backcourt duo, the program has leaned on junior guard Zoe Brooks and junior forward Khamil Pierre to fill the bucket.  But with No. 17 TCU serving as the Pack’s third top-20 opponent through the first four games, No. 10 NC State’s stars were outmatched in a 69-59 loss on Sunday afternoon at Reynolds Coliseum. Brooks and Pierre combined to score 14 points on 6-of-28 shooting, while standout sophomore guard Zam Jones missed all nine of her shots. The Wolfpack’s top three scorers going cold at the same time was not a winning recipe, and it doomed the team’s chances of earning its second ranked victory of the early campaign. Sophomore forward Tilda Trygger led NC State with 15 points, while freshman guard Ky’She Lunan added a season-best 10 and Brooks logged a team-best 10 rebounds in the defeat. Here are TheWolfpacker.com’s observations from the top-20 clash.