The No. 4 seed Seminoles (29-7) extinguished No. 12 seed Murray State (28-5) 90-62 in the second round of the NCAA competition here at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn.
The Seminoles are progressing to the Sweet 16 for the second back to back season. They will confront No.1 seed Gonzaga in a rematch of a year ago's territorial elimination round. FSU has won eight of nine and are 16-2 since late January.
"We arrived at the resolution that Morant was fundamentally unguardable. So we needed to ensure we safeguarded the different folks that benefited from him. What's more, we buckled down and influenced him to acquire every one of his containers," FSU mentor Leonard Hamilton said.
"What's more, I figured we completed a great employment protecting the different folks, and I felt that truly had the effect in the diversion. We had scored 45 off our seat. I thought we had colossal assistance from our revolution players. Furthermore, thinking about that two of our best players didn't play by any means, I was extremely satisfied that we had the capacity to beat what I thought was a great b-ball crew."
It is the biggest edge of triumph (28) in FSU's NCAA competition history, and the second time FSU has been to the Sweet 16 in consecutive seasons.
FSU seemed quicker, increasingly athletic, and longer than the Racers, and it appeared in the last score.
The Seminoles turned in a standout amongst the best first parts of the period taking a noteworthy lead into the break.
FSU proceeded with the beat down in the second half pushing the lead out to the same number of 31
"It's been some time since we played that way," FSU monitor Terance Mann said.
"Everybody tapping on all chambers. Everybody having some good times. It was a decent diversion."
The Seminoles completed the diversion shooting 50.7 percent from the field and 40.7 percent from three. MSU completed 32.8 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from three.
The Racers made only 13 of the 43 shots (30.2 percent) they took from inside the circular segment.
"We've been fifth in the nation this year in two-point rate, up around 58 percent," MSU mentor Matt McMahon said.
"They've been one of the best groups guarding the two-point shot. Furthermore, they simply made it amazingly troublesome on us to complete plays around the bushel. I think we were under 30 percent from two. So's an extraordinary credit to them. They're a first class guarded group."
The greatest preferred standpoint for the Seminoles went ahead the glass. They completed with a 45-33 bouncing back preferred standpoint, including 15 hostile sheets.
FSU turned those bounce back 20 additional opportunity focuses.
"We bounced back well," FSU forward Mfiondu Kabengele said.
"We executed position. We got our additional opportunity focuses. I feel like that just took their will a bit, and we just wore them done."