Kay Yow knew youth and inexperience would be areas of concern for her basketball team. She didn’t know the extent of that inexperience, however, until seeing her team fall 61-49 to Premier Players in Reynolds Coliseum on Wednesday.

With nine of 11 players who competed for N.C. State in the game being underclassmen, the team’s youth was quickly exposed.

“[It was] the first game, and we’ve got all of these young players put on their uniforms for the first time, and [they] came out here and were like deer in the headlights or something,” Yow said. “Even the sophomores didn’t play it much. It’s been a long time since they’ve been on the court, and they didn’t play that much. They were overwhelmed.”

Despite leading 22-20 at the half, the women failed to score efficiently from the perimeter throughout the game. The three starting perimeter players, redshirt freshman Megan Zullo, sophomore Nikitta Gartrell and junior Shayla Fields combined for 2-of-24 shooting from the field.

“Coming into this game, I would have never thought it was going to shake down like it did,” Yow said. “I would have thought our perimeter would outscore our inside by quite a bit. And you know [senior forward] Khadijah [Whittington] is going to score, but I never would have the thought the perimeter would end up like it did.”

Whittington’s play was a bright spot for the WolfPack, according to Yow, as the preseason All-ACC forward finished with 22 points and 12 rebounds. And though Yow said she admired Whittington’s play, she said the team relied too much on her and Fields to carry the team offensively.

“KD and Shayla may feel the pressure to produce because they’re the only upper-classmen,” Yow said. “I thought Shayla had settled in more as the game went along, but it just seemed like she played with such stress or something. She just didn’t look like herself. I know we’re going to have a lot more scoring power from our perimeter.”

The perimeter play of Premier Players was a stark contrast to that of the Pack. Premier Players connected on 13-of-30 3-point attempts compared to 1-of-17 3-point shots for the Pack.

“I was disappointed the way they were putting up threes when we knew that was their strategy and what they wanted to do,” Yow said.

There were positive strides in the game, according to Yow, particularly solid rebounding and good protection of the ball, as the team had 15 turnovers.

Also, State’s tenacious full-court trapping defense in the final minutes of the game showed Yow that her team can press effectively in future games.

Yow also said she will not rely on the play of some of the younger players as much during the season but wanted a chance to “see what they could do” outside of practice.

Still, the primary concern remains the same for Yow and the Pack as they open the season against UNC-Greensboro on Sunday at 2 p.m. in Reynolds.

If the growing pains of youth continue to plague the team, it could be a long season for the team picked No. 25 in the preseason ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ poll.

“We have to get going while we’re at home,” Yow said. “We have some tough ones. I feel like every game is going to be tough. It’s scary just because we’re still not a team, just because of our youth. It’s the little things that make a big difference.”

Sights and SoundsYow dresses fresh, thanks fansCoach Kay Yow ditched her traditional business casual for Wednesday’s game. Rather, she and her staff dressed in matching red and white warmups. After the game, Yow thanked the fans that showed up for supporting the team and promised that N.C. State would improve as the season progressed.

Empty SeatsVery few fans braved the cold to catch the first glimpse of this year’s team. Official attendance was 274 Wednesday.

Ellison goes shoelessSophomore forward Lucy Ellison lost her shoe early in the second half. With no timeouts or dead balls, Ellison stayed in the game trying to keep her balance and maintain her defensive position for more than a minute.-Taylor Auten

By the Numbers22 Points by N.C. State forward Khadijah Whittington6 The number of 3-pointers hit by Premier Players’ guard Sherell Sowho in the second half7.1 Junior point guard Shayla Fields’ field goal percentage5.9 N.C. State’s 3-point percentage on 17 attempts274 The official attendanceSource: N.C. State AthleticsCompiled by Taylor Auten