NC State runs out of gas in Ann Arbor, falls 92-63 to Michigan
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - MARCH 22: Khamil Pierre #12 of the NC State Wolfpack battles for a loose ball against Brooke Quarles Daniels #5 and Ashley Sofilkanich #15 of the Michigan Wolverines during the first half in the Second Round of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Crisler Arena on March 22, 2026 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Jaime Crawford/Getty Images) | Getty Images NC State managed to hang around for a half on Sunday afternoon, but winning a difficult road game without Zoe Brooks ultimately was just too much to ask. It’s overall quality aside, Michigan was about the worst possible matchup for a team missing a veteran guard—the Wolverines have thrived all year on forcing turnovers at a high rate, and that was a big difference in this game.
NC State turned the ball over 22 times to just six for Michigan. Giving the Wolverines 16 more effective possessions rendered an upset impossible. State shot the ball reasonably well, but Michigan had 27 more field goal attempts, and there was no overcoming that.
NC State was going to need heroic efforts from Zam Jones and Khamil Pierre to be competitive and they weren’t bad, just not nearly good enough. Jones also turned the ball over seven times. Still the game was tight at halftime—reality set in in the third quarter as Michigan’s offense woke up, pouring in 64 points over the final 20 minutes.
Destiny Lunan and Diana Quigley had to step up, and while Quigley shot 2-5 from three to provide a boost, Lunan fouled out in 15 minutes. It was a rough day for her. Michigan was unlikely to put two poor shooting halves together and didn’t, and its superior depth was evident in the second half.
So that’s a wrap on the 2026 season. The disappointments this team endured mirrored the men’s team in a lot of ways, and they leave a lot of questions in need of answers this offseason.