Six days from the Wofford opener, and the most reliable path against UNCW was the one that started on the defensive end and finished at the rim.

NC State scored 54 points in the paint and 20 points off turnovers in the 75-40 win. UNCW finished with only 15 made field goals on 51 attempts. The defense created the opportunities. The Pack forced turnovers, got into the paint, and finished them. Pierre went 12-of-17 for 27 points in 25 minutes. Leye added 11 on 5-of-12. The inside game was the part that did not need much help from the perimeter.

Moore talked after the game about the flashes and the need to put 40 minutes together, but the paint scoring was one of the clearer positives. When the defense got stops or turnovers, the Pack turned them into easy looks. The rebounding edge also helped. Samuels finished with 10 boards in 31 minutes, and the Pack limited UNCW to 12 second-chance points while grabbing 15 of their own. The numbers that will travel are the 54 in the paint, the 20 off turnovers, and Pierre’s efficiency. Those are the parts that looked finished against an exhibition opponent.

The work this week is probably about making sure that path stays available when the opponent is more physical or when the threes are not falling. Wofford is a team that plays hard and values possessions. If the Pack can keep generating those paint looks off the defense, a lot of the other issues become easier to manage. The first game that counts will show whether that part of the identity is ready to travel.