Big offense carries No. 4 NC State women past Wake Forest

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Wes Moore didn’t shy away from spreading a little breaking news to his No. 4 North Carolina State team right before Thursday night’s opening tip.

The Wolfpack players liked what they heard — No. 3 Louisville had just lost at No. 24 North Carolina in nearby Chapel Hill — and Moore liked what he saw in N.C. State's 92-61 victory over Wake Forest.

Diamond Johnson scored 16 points to lead a balanced attack, and N.C. State moved closer to its first regular-season Atlantic Coast Conference title since the 1989-90 season.

"I told them in the huddle," Moore said of Louisville's loss. "We need to take care of our own business. Obviously, that’s the most important thing. I think that gave them a jolt of energy."

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North Carolina State's Jada Boyd (5) grabs a rebound during the first half of the team's NCAA college basketball game against Wake Forest, Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022, in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/Karl B. DeBlaker)

The Wolfpack (23-3, 14-1) holds a 1½-game lead on Louisville with two games to play.

"We want to be regular-season champions, so we know that we have to come out every night and play hard," N.C. State guard Jakia Brown-Turner said. "We’re trying to get momentum going. The more we win, the more we’ll keep it going."

The Wolfpack racked up its most points in any quarter this season — 37 in the third — on the way to their fifth straight victory. Brown-Turner rolled up 15 points, reserve Camille Hobby posted 14 points, Kayla Jones had 11 points and Elissa Cunane added 10 points for N.C. State.

"We’re very blessed to have a lot of people that can come in on any given night and give us a bolt