RALEIGH — Any questions about how the Appalachian State freshman would handle the transition to college were answered less than a minute into the first game of the season.

Point guard Robin Colbert led the Mountaineers with 17 points 3-of-6 shooting and made 9-of-11 free throws. The freshman also led the team with eight rebounds and two assists in 32 minutes in her debut.

However, N.C. State managed to cruise to an 81-69 victory over the Mountaineers Tuesday night.

Appalachian State’s Whitney Randolph shot 5-for-10 in the game to finish with 10 points as the Apps shot 43.4 percent from the field. Colbert got the Mountaineers going early when she sank a pair of free throws just 33 seconds into the game to give the Mountaineers their first lead of the young season.

Colbert went on to score ASU’s first seven points and the newcomers accounted for 22 of the team’s 35 first half points. Frances Hernandez connected on her second three-pointer of the night and Whitney Tossie drained two foul shots with 23.8 seconds left to help Appalachian State to a 38-35 deficit to the No. 25 Wolfpack at the intermission. Tossie closed out the night with 12 points, three assists and three steals.

Hernandez shot 3-for-4 beyond the arc for nine points.

Another Appalachian State freshman, Sam Ramirez, scored all seven of her points in the first half, and picked up six rebounds off the bench.

The second half opened with five straight points for Colbert, before junior Brittany Mixon made the next three field goals for the team. Mixon scored 10 points in the game and led the team with 38 minutes on the floor.

The Mountaineers made their first nine free throw over the first 29 minutes of the contest and shot 14-for-18 in the game. The Appalachian bench outscored NC State 18-12, and the four freshman guards combined for 35 points on 9-for-18 shooting.

NC State’s Khadijah Whittington scored a career-high 26 points. The win was the 710th of Wolfpack coach Kay Yow’s career.

The Mountaineers open up their home slate on Friday against N.C. Central at 7 p.m.