High-Powered Wolfpack Attack Downs Wake

RALEIGH, N.C.  -– No. 4 NC State Wolfpack women’s basketball used dominant second and third quarters to score its most points in an ACC game this year and defeat visiting Wake Forest by a 92-61 score on Thursday night in Reynolds Coliseum.

With the victory, NC State improved to 24-3 overall and 15-1 in conference play. Its 15 ACC wins stand as the most in a single season in program history, beating the 2019-20 mark of 14 league victories.

The Wolfpack took advantage of a huge third quarter, setting multiple season-best marks to start the second half. NC State started the period 8-of-8 overall and 5-of-5 from three-point range before missing a shot. The squad hit its most threes in a quarter (8), its most points in a quarter (37) and its most total points after three quarters in ACC play (76) this year. Overall, NC State shot 77.8 percent (14-of-18) in the third quarter.

NC State had five players score in double figures for the third game in a row – Diamond Johnson (16), Jakia Brown-Turner (15), Camille Hobby (14), Kayla Jones (11) and Elissa Cunane (10). Kai Crutchfield (9) finished just shy of that mark and hit a team-leading three triples on the night. In total, 10 Wolfpack players scored in Thursday night’s game and all 13 available players played at least four minutes.

As a team, the Wolfpack shot 51.5 percent (34-of-66), marking back-to-back shooting marks of 50+ percent. The team also compiled a total-game three-point percentage of 42.9 percent (9-of-21), hitting eight of its nine threes in that third quarter alone.

The Wolfpack established a double-digit lead in the middle of the second quarter as it outscored the Demon Deacons 25-12 in the period to take a 39-25 advantage into the half. NC State scored the first eight second-quarter points, and Hobby and Johnson each scored eight for NC State the period as a whole after both coming off the bench.

NC State went on to also score the first eight of the third quarter and used its hot shooting in the third quarter to go on cruise control for most of the second half.

NC State plays its final home game of the 2021-22 regular season on Sunday, Feb. 20 when it hosts Syracuse. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. from Reynolds Coliseum, and the game will be televised live on the ACC’s Regional Sports Networks. The Wolfpack will honor four members of its senior class – Crutchfield, Cunane, Kayla Jones, Raina Perez – with a pregame ceremony.