Wolfpack starts fast and rolls Quinnipiac, 82-45

NC State showcased its depth in this new era, spreading the offense all over the place while getting all 11 scholarship players meaningful playing time. It won’t be an easy task to pare down this rotation, but that sure is a good problem to have.

The Wolfpack scored the first 13 points of the night and played stifling defense in the first half to put Quinnipiac away quickly. If State hadn’t scored again in the half after starting 13-0, it still would have led by a bucket at the half.

Jada Boyd accounted for the first two baskets of the season and finished the night with a team-high 14 points on 4-4 shooting from the field and 6-6 shooting at the free throw line. She also grabbed five boards, picked up two steals, and blocked a shot. All in 20 minutes.

Saniya Rivers had a solid debut, scoring nine points on 4-7 shooting. She spent a good amount of time running the point, and clearly she can handle it. Her athleticism and length are impressive—you can see why she was a five-star recruit, is what I’m saying.

Diamond Johnson struggled to make shots inside the arc but did hit 2-3 from three, and she didn’t have a turnover. Jakia Brown-Turner didn’t have a great night either, but in a game like this, it wasn’t going to matter.

Quinnipiac turned the ball over a bunch and went 0-11 from three during the first half; the Bobcats put together a nice third quarter when they suddenly started making everything from three, but by that point they were down by 30 points, and not even a 12-0 run could sow any doubt about the outcome.