TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) When teams make 15 or more 3-pointers while shooting over 65 percent from beyond the arc, it is usually a sure sign of a win.
Except in this case, it didn’t happen for Notre Dame.
Per College Basketball Reference , the 15th-ranked Fighting Irish are the 19th team since 2010-11 to make 15 or more 3-pointers while shooting over 70 percent from the field. They are also the first to lose.
No. 10 Florida State managed to survive the onslaught from long range for an 83-80 victory at the Tucker Center on Wednesday night. The Fighting Irish were 15 of 21 from beyond the arc, including 9 of 12 in the second half, as they converted 71.4 percent of their 3-point shots.
The percentage and nine 3-pointers after halftime are new program bests for Notre Dame in Atlantic Coast Conference play. Six players drained 3-pointers, with V.J. Beachem and Steve Vasturia having four apiece.
Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton said it was the first time in his 29 years of coaching he has seen a team shoot that well from the perimeter.
”It’s hard to shoot 71 percent from 3 if you’re in the gym by yourself and nobody is guarding you at all,” he said. ”(Assistant) coach (Charlton) Young, he has a lot of different sayings but one is jump to the moon when contesting a shot. We had a lot of guys jumping to the moon, but it didn’t seem to matter.”
Notre Dame came into the game 25th in the nation in 3-pointers made (174) and 28th in 3-point percentage (39.5).
”We contested … They just hit shots,” said Florida State’s Jonathan Isaac, who had 23 points and seven blocked shots.
Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said the perimeter game was the only way that his team could stay in the game due to Florida State’s height and athleticism in the paint.
”We did a good job and a better job in the second half kind of distorting them with the drive and kicking out for three,” he said. ”That was the only stuff we were getting because it is hard to score on them inside because they block everything. That is how we were surviving.”
Also per College Basketball Reference, teams that make 15 or more 3-pointers win 82.9 percent of the time (654 out of 789). Until Wednesday night, Stetson was the only team to make 15 or more from 3 while shooting over 65 percent and lose.
The Hatters shot 69.6 percent last season at IPFW (16 of 23) and lost 95-89.
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