Seven days from the Wofford opener, and the clearest theme coming out of the UNCW exhibition was that NC State still has to find a way to put a full game together.

Moore said it after the 75-40 win. UNCW came out and got after them defensively. They got in the passing lanes and pressured the ball. Sometimes the Pack handled it, sometimes they didn’t. He said it was good to experience that, but the bigger point was simple: they have spurts and they have flashes. They’ve got to try to put 40 minutes together. That’s what it’s going to take when they start playing some of the ranked teams on the schedule and they get into ACC play. He also said they’ve played mid-major and top schools already, part of that so the new pieces could get minutes, and he’s seen moments, but they’re going to have to put together 40 minutes to compete at the level they want.

You could see both sides against UNCW. The defense created easy opportunities. They scored 54 points in the paint and 20 points off turnovers. UNCW finished with only 15 made field goals on 51 attempts. Pierre was efficient inside (12-of-17 for 27 points). The rebounding edge tilted their way in the end. But the night still had unfinished stretches. The three-point shooting was cold (2-of-10). Second-chance points were an issue early. The guard line was quiet in spots, especially with Brooks limited after tweaking her hip. The effort and activity weren’t always the same for the full 40.

The work this week is probably about closing that gap between the flashes and the full game. Not just the good starts or the good quarters, but the same level when the opponent adjusts or when the threes aren’t falling. Moore has said they have a lot of work to do before games start counting. Wofford will be the first public look at whether the Pack can sustain what they showed in spurts against UNCW.

Next is “6 Days to Wofford,” which will cover the paint and the defense that fed it.