Instant observations: No. 9 NC State hits cold spell in tight loss to No. 18 USC

CHARLOTTE — Even though the Spectrum Center’s lower bowl was just about halfway filled, a Wolf … Pack chant rained down onto the court from those clad in red and white at the start of the fourth quarter. Just 12 seconds after it began, NC State guard Zoe Brooks knifed through USC’s defense with ease.  As the junior weaved her way through traffic, she got downhill to attack the rim. As Brooks rose up, she was met with a considerable amount of contact, but it didn’t seem to faze the hard-nosed guard as she drew a foul on the layup.  The old-fashioned 3-point play seemed to ignite Brooks in the fourth quarter as she extended the Wolfpack’s lead to 11 in the opening seconds of the frame. But it wasn't enough to keep USC down as the Trojans used an 8-0 run over the last 3:32 to take a 1-point lead with seven seconds to go. NC State went the final 4:03 without a basket as it watched what was a 7-point lead evaporate in the blink of an eye in a 69-68 loss on Sunday afternoon without getting a final shot attempt off in the waning two seconds. Brooks led the Wolfpack with 24 points and 11 rebounds, while junior forward Khamil Pierre added 10 points and 18 boards in the loss to the Trojans. Here are TheWolfpacker.com’s observations from the defeat.