Florida State built a 22-point halftime lead and then answered Missouri's big run to start the second half with one of its own to wear down the Tigers and post a 67-54 win Friday night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.

Ten players scored for the ninth-seeded Seminoles (21-11), led by Mfiondu Kabengele's 14 points and 12 rebounds. PJ Savoy added 12 points, canning 3-of-6 from 3-point land, and Phil Cofer chipped in 11. Florida State earned a second-round matchup with top-seeded Xavier on Sunday.

Kassius Robertson scored a game-high 19 points for the eighth-seeded Tigers (20-13), while freshman Michael Porter Jr. contributed 16 points and 10 rebounds in just his third game of the year. Porter missed 29 games after suffering a back injury in the season opener against Iowa State, but is considered a likely lottery pick in June's NBA Draft.

Missouri played without second-leading scorer Jordan Barnett, who was suspended for the game after a DUI arrest last weekend, and dressed just seven scholarship players. Its lack of manpower was clear against an opponent with depth, length and quickness.

Florida State actually trailed 7-1, but ripped off 11 straight points and forced the Tigers into chase mode. Savoy capped the spurt with a 3-pointer at the 14:13 mark for a 12-7 advantage.

Leading 25-18 after Porter drove for a layup with 7:59 left, the Seminoles finished the half with a 17-2 spurt. Braian Angola's 3-pointer with a minute remaining polished off the run and gave Florida State a 42-20 cushion at the half.

Missouri threw its best punch to start the second half, outscoring Florida State 24-8 in the first 10:07. Porter's two free throws capped the outburst and drew the Tigers within two possessions.

But the Seminoles got it together to score 15 consecutive points as Missouri ran out of steam. Trent Forrest's two foul shots with 5:28 remaining upped the margin to 21, ending the game's competitive phase.

--Field Level Media