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After nearly every close game NC State has played this year, a familiar narrative pops up online: questions about the Pack’s ability to close, and criticism over surrendering big leads that slip away in the fourth quarter.

Take one example. After NC State gave up a 57–52 fourth-quarter lead to Clemson and eventually lost 75–65, @usatodaysports reporter Mitchell Northam posted this:

Clemson made NC State quit. No urgency in these final two minutes. #ncaaW

— Mitchell Northam (@primetimeMitch) January 9, 2026

No, Mitch, NC State didn’t quit. First, they were missing their go-to player 4th quarter hero, Zam Jones. But even setting that aside, NC State simply ran out of gas, while Clemson’s players were fresher down the stretch because of heavier bench usage. It would have been more accurate to say that the lack of NC State bench minutes left the starters running on empty in the fourth quarter. Try to do better next time, Mitch.

Starters – NC State vs. Clemson

NC State Starters	Min	Clemson Starters	Min
Tilda Trygger	33	Raven Thompson	39
Khamil Pierre	35	Rusne Augustinaite	29
Zoe Brooks	39	Mia Moore	27
Qadence Samuels	32	Hadley Periman	24
Devyn Quigley	27	Hannah Kohn	12

Non‑Starters – NC State vs. Clemson

NC State Bench	Min	Clemson Bench	Min
Destiny Lunan	19	Rachael Rose	29
Maddie Cox	12	Taylor Johnson-Matthews	23
Adelaide Jernigan	3	Demeara Hinds	17

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Then there’s the case of NC State losing a 73–69 lead to Louisville with 43 seconds left in regulation, in a game they eventually dropped in overtime, 88–80. The Pack were outscored 14–6 in the extra period. Lack of heart? Unlikely. Look at the minutes played by the Cardinals versus the Pack—once again, NC State’s starters were almost certainly out of gas.

Starters – NC State vs. Louisville

NC State Starters	Min	Louisville Starters	Min
Khamil Pierre	42	Laura Ziegler	22
Tilda Trygger	41	Mackenly Randolph	31
Qadence Samuels	35	Anaya Hardy	15
Zamareya Jones	38	Elif Istanbulluoglu	35
Zoe Brooks	35	Tajianna Roberts	26

Non‑Starters – NC State vs. Louisville

NC State Bench	Min	Louisville Bench	Min
Destiny Lunan	26	Imari Berry	37
Maddie Cox	6	Reyna Scott	30
		Skylar Jones	28

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Then the narrative popped up again on the “Locked On Wolfpack” podcast today. First off, I love Kenton and Grayson—I watch their show every day and recommend others do the same. That said, today’s commentary felt more like it came from a casual-fan perspective. Kenton asks the rhetorical question, “What’s going on?” and then suggests this team lacks a “killer instinct”.

Well, here’s what’s actually going on with NC State losing leads to good teams—and it’s not a lack of killer instinct. Look at the disparity in minutes played by the starters on each side. What you’re seeing Kenton and Grayson, is a lack of minutes and production from the bench. How are the NC State starters suppose to physically react when the minutes played are lopsided vs a more fresh UVa team? You’re absolutely right that it needs to be fixed. The lingering question, with only nine conference games left, is whether the Pack bench have it in them to increase the pace—or, maybe more importantly, whether Coach Moore is willing to trust the bench enough to let them prove it.

Starters – NC State vs. Virginia

NC State Starters	Min	Virginia Starters	Min
Qadence Samuels	33	Paris Clark	20
Zamareya Jones	37	Sa’Myah Smith	37
Khamil Pierre	39	Tabitha Amanze	24
Tilda Trygger	35	Kymora Johnson	43
Zoe Brooks	42	Romi Levy	27

Non‑Starters – NC State vs. Virginia

NC State Bench	Min	Virginia Bench	Min
Devyn Quigley	7	Gabby White	21
Destiny Lunan	15	Jillian Brown	17
Maddie Cox	16	Adeang Ring	5
		Caitlin Weimar	25

In the end, NC State’s issue isn’t toughness or “killer instinct” – it’s the lack of consistent production from the bench. If the Pack don’t get more reliable minutes, scoring, and defensive energy from their reserves, future opponents will continue to gameplan to wear down the starters, confident that NC State will fade late. That becomes even more critical in March, when the ACC Tournament demands three games in three days (assuming a double bye) to gain an ACC championship. We’ve already seen the cost of this pattern: in last year’s ACC Tournament, Duke was clearly the fresher team in the second half of NC State’s 76-62 loss, and the result looked as much about legs as it did about execution. Unless the bench steps up – and is trusted to do so – the Pack risk reliving that same scenario when it matters most. Go Pack!