NC State Athletics hit the ground running in the new year. This week was highlighted by the men’s basketball team’s continued dominance in ACC play and the start of the 2024 gymnastics season.
Women’s basketball suffers first loss of the season
NC State women’s basketball hosted No. 22 Florida State at Reynolds Coliseum on Thursday, Jan. 4 before making the trip to Blacksburg, Virginia to take on Virginia Tech three days later. The then-No. 3 Pack played a tight game against the Seminoles and ultimately won 88-80 after Florida State forced an overtime session. Graduate center River Baldwin led the red-and-white in scoring with 21 points, despite missing the whole fourth quarter and the extra period.
The Wolfpack faced an even more difficult test in the then-No. 13 Hokies. The visitors played another close game, but a last-second bucket from Virginia Tech center Elizabeth Kitley sent the Pack home with a 63-62 loss — the team’s first of the season — and snapped its 14-game win streak.
Read more about NC State’s win over the Seminoles.
Read more about the Pack’s last-second loss to Virginia Tech.
Wrestling splits two matches
NC State wrestling took on two opponents this week: No. 9 Oklahoma State and Hofstra. The No. 4 Pack stumbled against the Cowboys, winning just three out of ten bouts and falling 22-12 in front of its first-ever sellout crowd at Reynolds Coliseum.
Despite the upset loss, the Wolfpack had no problem taking care of business against an unranked Hofstra squad on the road. The red-and-white defeated the Pride 43-5 after winning nine out of ten bouts.
Read more about the Pack’s upset loss to Oklahoma State.
Read more about NC State’s crushing victory over Hofstra.
Men’s basketball enjoys hot start to ACC play
NC State men’s basketball trumped two ACC opponents this week in Notre Dame and Virginia to remain undefeated in conference play through its first three games. The Pack took on the Fighting Irish in South Bend, Indiana, and escaped with a 54-52 victory courtesy of a last-second score by graduate forward DJ Burns.
The Wolfpack’s matchup against the Cavaliers was an entirely different story — despite playing a close game throughout the first half, Virginia proved to be no match for the red-and-white. The Pack managed to shut down the Cavaliers’ lead scorer and ultimately defeated them 76-60 in PNC Arena.
Read more about the Pack’s comeback win over Notre Dame.
Read more about NC State’s defeat of Virginia.
Gymnastics falls to Georgia in season opener
NC State gymnastics traveled to Athens, Georgia to take on the No. 10 Bulldogs in its first meet of the 2024 season. The Pack scored 194.225 points overall, but it wasn’t enough to beat Georgia’s score of 196.200. The red-and-white’s best score of the day came on the vault at 49.025 and its worst came on the beam at 47.775. To no one’s surprise, graduate student Chloe Negrete turned in the Wolfpack’s best individual score of the day with a 9.875.
