Lady Vols Drop Season Opener to NC State in Instant Classic, 80-77

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The highly anticipated debut of the season for the No. 8/9 Tennessee Lady Vols ended in a thrilling, yet heartbreaking, 80-77 loss to the No. 9/8 NC State Wolfpack on Tuesday night at the Ro Greensboro Invitational. In a top-10 battle that lived up to the hype, the Lady Vols showcased an exciting, fast-paced offense but ultimately fell short in the closing seconds of a fiercely contested matchup.

A Back-and-Forth Battle of Runs

The game was defined by massive swings of momentum, with neither top-ranked squad able to pull away decisively until the final buzzer:

Hot Start: The Lady Vols jumped out to a 44-40 halftime lead, fueled by an 8-0 run in the second quarter that pushed their advantage to double digits at one point (41-31).
Wolfpack Blitz: NC State responded ferociously in the third quarter, executing an 18-3 blitz that swung the lead to an eight-point margin (58-50) and forced a Tennessee timeout.
The Final Frame: The teams traded blows down the stretch, with the lead changing hands multiple times. A layup by freshman guard Mia Pauldo put the Lady Vols up 77-76 with 54 seconds left, but NC State immediately answered with a fast-break bucket and sealed the win at the free-throw line in the final seconds.

The Lady Vols’ last-ditch effort—a hurried, long three-pointer from Pauldo—fell short, marking a tough start to the season for first-year head coach Kim Caldwell.

Cooper’s Explosive Performance & Freshman Firepower

Despite the loss, the performance of redshirt junior guard Talaysia Cooper was a major bright spot for the Big Orange. Cooper was stellar, posting a game-high 23 points along with a stat-stuffing double-double of 11 rebounds and seven assists.

The Lady Vols also benefited from significant contributions from their newcomers:

Jaida Civil and Mia Pauldo chipped in 13 and 10 points, respectively, with Pauldo’s late layup giving the Lady Vols their final lead. Pauldo became the first Tennessee freshman to start a season opener since 2021.
Senior forward Janiah Barker added 15 points, showcasing an improved outside shot (3-of-5 from three).

The Differences in the Box Score

While the Lady Vols showed speed and scoring punch, the game ultimately came down to a few critical areas of execution that coach Kim Caldwell acknowledged post-game:

Area	Lady Vols (UT)	NC State (NCSU)	Impact on Game
Free Throws	8-of-14 (57.1%)	14-of-19 (73.7%)	NCSU converted six more points from the line.
Foul Disparity	23 Fouls	10 Fouls	Gave NC State many more chances at the free-throw line.
Second Chance Pts.	17 Points	17 Points	Both teams excelled on the offensive glass (48 total rebounds for each).
NC State Star	–	Khamil Pierre (21 Pts, 14 Reb)	Pierre’s post-play and fast-break bucket late were crucial for the Wolfpack.

“We scheduled this game to see where we were. We have a lot of things we can fix, we can get a lot better. And we know where we’re at. That’s a very good basketball team.”

— Kim Caldwell, Lady Vols Head Coach

The loss to a top-10 opponent stings, but the competitive nature of the game and the promising offensive showing give the Lady Vols a clear template of what they need to fix going forward. Next up is a return to Knoxville for their home opener.