FIU probably would have felt okay about it chances had it known before tipoff that it was going to shoot over 63% inside the arc. Most teams would. But!
They gotta guard us too, pal.
They also gotta take care of the basketball if they want to make a good shooting night count. The Panthers turned the ball over a dozen times in about as many minutes to begin the game, so while they were scoring effectively in the half court—when they actually got a shot up—they were losing ground on the scoreboard. An early NC State run pushed the Pack’s advantage from 8-6 to 22-6, and the Panthers never recovered.