NC State 80, Wofford 50.

What worked

The defense is what produced the margin. Wofford finished 17-of-66 from the field, and the Pack turned those stops into 27 fast-break points against just 2 for the Terriers. That gap is the game more than the final score. The length and activity on the perimeter took Wofford out of the pace it wanted before it could settle into anything consistent, and the numbers show up in the 23 points the Pack scored off turnovers to Wofford’s 9.

Starting three guards was the right call against this particular team. Brooks, Lunan, and Wooten combined for 50 points, with Brooks finishing at 23 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists and Lunan adding 19. The spacing forced Wofford to decide whether it wanted to collapse on Pierre or stay attached to the shooters, and once it chose the first option the Pack had open looks it could actually make. The three was not perfect at 9-of-30, but it was good enough to make the decision costly.

What did not

The part that will not sit well with Moore is the offensive rebounding. Wofford finished with 14 offensive boards even though the Pack still won the overall rebounding battle 49-35. Giving up that many second chances is the number that will show up on the film, and while it did not matter against Wofford it is the kind of detail that travels poorly against teams that can finish those possessions. The free-throw line was another soft spot at 8-of-13. It did not cost them tonight, but it is the same efficiency issue that has shown up before.

The fourth quarter was 13-15 after the Pack had already done the heavy lifting, which is the kind of stretch that looks fine in an opener and less clean on film.

The takeaway

The foundation is already there. The defensive identity showed up for most of the night, the perimeter responded when Wofford tried to take Pierre away, and the things that need cleaning up are the ones Moore has already flagged. Both are fixable.