Auburn 78, Florida State 72: Frankie Sullivan scored 18 of his 24 points in the first half and Allen Payne scored a career-high 17 as the host Tigers rallied back from an 11-point first-half deficit.

Sullivan and Payne, both guards, combined to shoot just 1-for-8 from the field in the second half but were a combined 18-for-24 from the free-throw line for the game, helping Auburn (6-7) outscore the Seminoles 43-36 in the second half.

Michael Snaer had 18 points and a career-high 12 rebounds to lead Florida State (8-5), which came in riding a four-game winning streak. Terry Whisnant II scored 13 of his career-high 16 points in the first half for the Seminoles.

Florida State made eight of its first 10 field-goal attempts in building a 21-10 lead after eight minutes, but the Tigers chipped away and cut the deficit to 36-35 on a dunk by Shaquille Johnson just before the halftime buzzer.

A 9-0 run by the Tigers early in the second half gave them a 47-40 lead, which they stretched to double digits with 7:30 remaining. Florida State 6-8 junior forwards Terrance Shannon and Okaro White, the team’s second and third-leading scorers, each picked up their third and fourth fouls early in the second half and combined for 15 points.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Before the game it was announced that Auburn junior G Chris Denson would miss 4-to-6 weeks with a stress fracture in his left foot. Denson averaged 15.2 points in the five games since he became academically eligible. The Tigers recently learned freshman G Jordan Price, the team’s third-leading scorer while Denson was out, would be sidelined a similar period with a stress fracture in his foot. … Florida State junior G Ian Miller returned after missing the last four games with a right foot injury. Miller, the team’s third-leading leading scorer last season (10.3), finished with two points. … Florida State opens ACC play Saturday at Clemson; Auburn opens SEC play Jan. 9 against visiting LSU.