RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- North Carolina State (No. 8 ESPN/USA Today; No. 11 AP) made up for 6-foot-6 center Summer Erb's absence with balanced scoring and tough defense in a 72-62 victory over Florida State on Sunday.

Erb, 1999's Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year, watched with a broken left foot as N.C. State's frontcourt hit 22 of 33 shots from the floor and outscored the Seminoles 30-24 in the paint.

"N.C. State played a great game, a very inspired game, with a lot of emotion," said Florida State coach Sue Semrau. "It's a real credit to the rest of their team that they came together so well without such a key player."

Forward Monica Bates, who averaged just 2.8 points in her last nine games, scored 17 points to lead N.C. State. First-year center Christen Greene came off the bench for 14 points, while forward Ivy Gardner had 10. Guard Terah James added 12 points and six assists.

Meanwhile, the Wolfpack defense held Florida State to 23-for-67 shooting.

N.C. State Coach Kay Yow said covering for Erb's loss was more than just filling in her averages of 11 points and 8.5 rebounds.

"We knew we could make up the points and the rebounds," Yow said. "What was important was that we come ready to play and compete hard without her."

N.C. State (18-4, 9-2 ACC) played for the first time since 1997 without Erb in the lineup. Erb appeared in 82 straight games and started 50 for the Wolfpack before breaking three bones in her left foot in Thursday's 86-76 win over North Carolina.

Without Erb's intimidating size in the paint, N.C. State couldn't stop FSU's Latavia Coleman from working inside for most of her 21 points. Rookie center Katelyn Vujas added 13 points for Florida State (9-12, 2-8 ACC), getting eight while Bates took a break late in the second half.

Coleman had 12 first-half points for the Seminoles, but eight N.C. State players, led by James with nine and Bates with eight, scored in the first half to help the Wolfpack take a 39-32 lead at the break.

Florida State hit its first four shots and nine of its first 16 in taking an early 22-15 lead, but the Seminoles missed eight of their next 12 shots and turned over eight possessions during the last 10:30 of the half.

N.C. State hit just three of its first 14 shots in the second half, allowing FSU to creep within 47-44. But Bates and Gardner each nailed a pair of baskets in a 10-2 run that N.C. State used to take control.