DAYTON, Ohio — In his second try, T.J. Warren became an NCAA tournament star.

The ACC’s player of the year put on a show Tuesday night, scoring 16 of his 25 points in the second half of North Carolina State’s 74-59 victory over Xavier on the opening day of the NCAA’s First Four.

Then, it was off to the airport and a two-hour flight to Orlando, Fla., where the fast-closing Wolfpack (22-12) will play on Thursday against fifth-seeded St. Louis in the Midwest Regional.

Center Matt Stainbrook led Xavier with 19 points and nine rebounds despite an injured left knee. Leading scorer Semaj Christon was limited to 14 points, and Xavier made only 2 of 14 shots from beyond the arc.

In the opening game on Tuesday, Albany got its first NCAA tournament victory, holding on for a 71-64 win over Mount St. Mary’s. D.J. Evans scored 22 points and hit two clinching free throws with 12.6 seconds left.

The Great Danes (19-14) earned a shot against overall No. 1 seed and top-ranked Florida Thursday.