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Raleigh, Wake County

Raleigh: No. 25 NC State women fall to No. 14 Kentucky 93-78

Kentucky made 18 threes Sunday at the Ally Tipoff in Charlotte. Khamil Pierre scored 34 for NC State. The Wolfpack is 2-1.

ConfirmedThe main facts are confirmed by official or first-hand sources.

By Alexandru Stanciu · Published

Downtown Raleigh buildings under a blue sky

File photo: James Willamor (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

What we know

Confirmed

  • No. 14 Kentucky beat No. 25 NC State 93-78 on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026, at the Ally Tipoff. The NC State recap, the official box score, the Associated Press and the ESPN final all list that score. The box places the game at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, with a 3 p.m. tip and a playing time of 1:59. The box header does not list attendance.Confirmed by NC State Athletics recap and box score; Associated Press; ESPN final
  • The record line on the recap and the box is NC State 2-1, 0-0 ACC, and Kentucky 3-0, 0-0 SEC. ESPN's final lists the same overall records and ranks Kentucky 14th and NC State 25th.Confirmed by NC State Athletics recap and box score; ESPN final
  • By quarter, Kentucky scored 29, 27, 16 and 21. NC State scored 24, 20, 14 and 20. Halftime was 56-44. The teams were at 72-58 entering the fourth, which is the sum of the first three quarters on the box.Confirmed by NC State Athletics box score
  • Kentucky made 18 of 39 three-pointers and outrebounded NC State 38-29. NC State shot 24 of 60 from the field, 3 of 11 from three and 27 of 33 at the free-throw line, with 9 assists, 6 turnovers and 10 steals. Kentucky shot 33 of 62, 9 of 14 at the line, with 20 assists and 15 turnovers.Confirmed by NC State Athletics box score; NC State Athletics recap
  • Khamil Pierre scored 34 points on 12 of 25 shooting, with 9 of 13 free throws and 5 rebounds. The recap says 34 is a new NC State high and her third career 30-point game, and that she scored 18 in the first quarter, tied for the second-most points in a quarter in school history with Dominique Wilson's 18 against Louisville in 2016.Confirmed by NC State Athletics box score and recap
  • Zoe Brooks scored 13, on 1 of 5 from the field and 11 of 13 at the line. Qadence Samuels and Khady Leye scored 8 each. Kamora Pruitt scored 7. Desiree Wooten scored 6. The recap says six players scored at least six, and that Samuels scored all eight of her points in the first half.Confirmed by NC State Athletics box score and recap
  • Ajsa Sivka scored 32 points on 11 of 17 shooting, with 8 of 12 threes. Clara Strack scored 24. Savannah Swords scored 14. The Associated Press reported Sivka's 32 points and eight threes, and wrote that the eight threes matched a Kentucky program record in her third college game.Confirmed by NC State Athletics box score; Associated Press
  • The box lists NC State at 2 of 16 from the field in the third quarter. The recap attaches a 2-of-16 line, and a 16-14 Kentucky edge, to the second quarter. The period scores show Kentucky ahead 16-14 in the third quarter, not the second. This file follows the box.Confirmed by NC State Athletics box score; NC State Athletics recap
  • NC State's recap says the Wolfpack host Liberty at Reynolds Coliseum on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m., on ACC Network Extra. This site already covered NC State's 80-45 win over Campbell on Nov. 4, when the Wolfpack were 2-0.Confirmed by NC State Athletics recap; Triangle Local Nov. 4 file

Still unknown

  • Attendance. The official box header read for this file does not list a crowd
  • Why the NC State recap places the 2-of-16 shooting line in the second quarter. The box puts 2 of 16 in the third

What happened

In Raleigh, the No. 25 NC State women's basketball team lost to No. 14 Kentucky 93-78 on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026.

The game was the Ally Tipoff at Spectrum Center in Charlotte. The official box lists a 3 p.m. tip and a playing time of 1 hour 59 minutes. It does not list a crowd. The school write-up, that box, the Associated Press and the ESPN final all have Kentucky 93, NC State 78. NC State is 2-1. Kentucky is 3-0.

By quarter, Kentucky scored 29, 27, 16 and 21. The Wolfpack scored 24, 20, 14 and 20. Halftime was 56-44. The score entering the fourth was 72-58.

This is a separate result from NC State's 80-45 win over Campbell on Nov. 4, when the Pack were 2-0. Later Sunday, in the same building, No. 12 UNC lost to No. 1 South Carolina 84-39.

Who scored

Khamil Pierre scored 34 points, on 12 of 25 shooting, with 9 of 13 free throws and 5 rebounds. NC State's recap says 34 is a new high in a Wolfpack uniform and her third career 30-point game. It also says she scored 18 in the first quarter, tied for the second-most points in a quarter in school history with Dominique Wilson's 18 against Louisville in 2016.

Zoe Brooks scored 13, making 1 of 5 shots and 11 of 13 free throws. Qadence Samuels and Khady Leye scored 8 each. Kamora Pruitt scored 7. Desiree Wooten scored 6. The recap says Samuels got all eight of her points before halftime.

Ajsa Sivka scored 32 for Kentucky, on 11 of 17 shooting and 8 of 12 from three. Clara Strack scored 24. Savannah Swords scored 14. The AP reported the 32 points and the eight threes, and wrote that eight threes matched a Kentucky program record in Sivka's third college game. That record line and the third-game line are the wire's.

The sheet

Kentucky made 18 of 39 threes and won the rebounding count 38-29. NC State shot 24 of 60 from the field, 3 of 11 from three and 27 of 33 at the line, with 9 assists, 6 turnovers and 10 steals. Kentucky shot 33 of 62 and 9 of 14 at the line, with 20 assists and 15 turnovers.

The box lists the Wolfpack at 2 of 16 from the field in the third quarter. The recap attaches a 2-of-16 line to the second quarter, along with a 16-14 edge for Kentucky. The period scores put that 16-14 margin in the third. This file follows the box.

Wednesday at Reynolds

NC State's note on what comes next is a home game against Liberty on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m. at Reynolds Coliseum, on ACC Network Extra.

More Triangle sports is on this site. Wake County stories are on the county page.

Triangle Local is not NC State, Kentucky, or either conference.

Related coverage

Photos

Text-only. No athletics photographs are used here.

Why it matters

Raleigh's ranked women's basketball team took its first loss of the season, in the same Charlotte event as North Carolina. Readers need the official final, who scored 34, and the next home game.

Updates

  1. Nov 8, 2026, 8:14 PM

    First file from the NC State recap and box score, the Associated Press lede and the ESPN final. The third-quarter shooting line follows the box, not the recap's quarter label. No attendance figure. No athletics photos. lead is false.

Sources

  1. Women's Basketball Unable to Stop Kentucky's 3-Point Attack (NC State Athletics recap, Nov. 8, 2026, Charlotte, 3 p.m.: No. 25 NC State 2-1 fell to No. 14 Kentucky 3-0, 93-78, at the Ally Tipoff; Kentucky 18 threes; rebounds 38-29; Pierre 34, called a new NC State high and a third career 30-point game, with 18 in the first quarter; six players in at least six; next vs Liberty Wednesday, Nov. 11, 7 p.m., Reynolds Coliseum, ACC Network Extra. A 2-of-16 line in the recap is labeled the second quarter. The box puts that line in the third. Text-only. No athletics photos used.)

    Official sourcePublished by NC State Athletics · Checked Nov 8, 2026, 8:14 PM

  2. Official Basketball Box Score — Final, Kentucky at NC State (GM03 PDF: Kentucky 93, record 3-0; NC State 78, record 2-1; Spectrum Center, Charlotte; 3:00 p.m.; duration 1:59; no attendance line; quarters 29-27-16-21 and 24-20-14-20; Pierre 34 on 12-25, 9-13 FT, 5 rebounds; Brooks 13 on 1-5 and 11-13 FT; Samuels 8; Leye 8; Pruitt 7; Wooten 6; Sivka 32 on 11-17 and 8-12 from three; Strack 24; Swords 14; Kentucky 33-62, 18-39, 9-14, 38 rebounds; NC State 24-60, 3-11, 27-33, 29 rebounds; third quarter NC State 2-16)

    Official sourcePublished by NC State Athletics · Checked Nov 8, 2026, 8:14 PM

  3. Ajsa Sivka scores 32 in 3rd collegiate game to lead No. 14 Kentucky women over No. 25 NC State 93-78 (Associated Press, Charlotte dateline: Sivka 32 points and eight 3-pointers, 11 of 17 shots; program-record line and third college game are the AP's; 93-78 at the Ally Tipoff on Sunday. Text-only. No AP photos used.)

    Third-party sourcePublished by Associated Press · Checked Nov 8, 2026, 8:14 PM

  4. ESPN women's college basketball scoreboard for Nov. 8, 2026 (Final, Ally Tipoff, Spectrum Center, Charlotte; Kentucky 93, NC State 78; ranks 14 and 25; records 3-0 and 2-1. ESPN's attendance field on this game was 0 and is not used.)

    Third-party sourcePublished by ESPN · Checked Nov 8, 2026, 8:14 PM

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