CHARLOTTE – The FIU men's basketball team was defeated by a 64-55 margin on Thursday night at Charlotte despite attempting 20 more field goal attempts than the 49ers in the loss.
 
Charlotte led by as many as 18 with 6:18 left in regulation in a contest that saw the Panthers out-rebound the 49ers 36-33 and flip 16 Charlotte turnovers into 23 points.  FIU also won the points in the paint battle in convincing fashion 32-24 and secured 10 second-chance points to the 49ers four.
 
Despite that, FIU struggled to find its shooting touch throughout as it connected on 23-of-66 field goal attempts for the game (34.8 percent) and 6-of-28 shots from three-point range.  Charlotte won the game at the free throw line as it hit on 16-of-18 opportunities while limiting the Panthers to just a 3-of-5 tally.
 
Senior Eric Lovett paced the Panthers in defeat with 14 points and six rebounds.  Charlotte was led by Jahmir Young who tabbed a game-high 23 points and finished 11-of-12 from the charity stripe.  Austin Butler chipped in 16 for the 49ers.
 
The loss drops the Panthers' overall mark on the season to 15-13 and 5-10 in league action.  Charlotte moves to 15-12 and 8-7 in Conference USA play.
 
UP NEXT:  The Panthers conclude their current road trip on Saturday, Feb. 26 at Old Dominion in a 7 p.m. ET tip.
 
The game will be televised live on ESPN+.
 
TICKETS
For more information on FIU tickets to FIU basketball home games, including student ticketing, call 305-FIU-GAME or visit HERE.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans are encouraged to follow the Panthers on Instagram (@FIUHoops), Twitter (@FIUHoops), and Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUMensBball) for all the latest Men's Basketball news.
 
General athletic news can also be found at @FIUSports on Facebook and @FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.