Miami, Fla. - Nasrin Ulel and Rosemarie Julien combined for 52 points to lead the FGCU women's basketball team to an 88-52 win over FIU on the road Wednesday.

With the result, FGCU (2-0) got its stretch of seven games over 12 days started in winning fashion. The team will now head to Akron, Ohio to face Kent State on Friday at 5 p.m. and Akron at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. FIU is now 0-3.

"We played a great second half," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "We shared the ball and took high quality shots. We also had good effort on the boards.   Nasrin, Rose and Ty all had big games."

Ulel (Murrietta, Calif./Murrietta HS) scored 20 of her career-high 28 points in the second half to help FGCU overcome a 33-30 halftime deficit. She has now recorded a new career-high in two straight games to open the season.

Overall, Ulel finished 10-for-15 from the field, including a 6-for-9 performance from 3-point range. She chipped in a career-high six rebounds, and she also set new career-highs in field goals made, field goals attempted, 3-point field goals attempted and 3-point field goals made and minutes.

Julien (Port St. Lucie, Fla./Treasure Coast HS), who made big shots early in the second half to spur FGCU's resurgence, recorded her first career double-double and finished 8-for-16 from the field, including 6-for-11 from 3-point range. She tallied 24 points, a career-high 10 rebounds and two assists over 28 minutes. She also notched new career-highs in field goals and 3-point field goals attempted while tying her career-high for 3-point field goals made (Stetson, 01-07-17).

FIU's three-point lead at halftime was the first time in the history of the series that the Panthers held a lead going into the break. FGCU is now 9-0 against the Panthers thanks to a 19-for-37 (51.4 percent) shooting performance in the second half that included an 11-for-22 line from long distance. The Eagles also out-rebounded FIU 26-16, forced 11 turnovers and committed just one turnover of their own in the final 20 minutes while ultimately closing the game on a 25-3 run.

Another key player in the win was Tytionia Adderly (Jupiter, Fla./Cardinal Newman HS), who had four points, 16 rebounds, three assists and one steal. She was an efficient 2-for-3 from the field while pulling down eight offensive rebounds.

FGCU scored the first six and 16 of the first 22 points in the game, but then went cold from the field for nearly six minutes. FIU took advantage and went on a 12-0 run that saw the Panthers take a 23-18 lead.

Over the next three minutes, though, FGCU drained four 3-pointers, including two from Julien, to take a 30-29 lead. FIU bounced back and closed the half with a layup and a jumper to take its lead.

Then, everything changed in the second half. FGCU forced a turnover on the opening possession, which led to back-to-back 3-pointers from Julien and Taylor Gradinjan (Cudahy, Wis./Cudahy HS). With the game tied at 38, Ulel hit a pair of free throws to start a 13-0 spurt that eventually grew into a 20-2 run. China Dow (Louisville, Ky./Christian Academy of Louisville) capped the run with a layup to give the visitors a 58-40 lead with 3:15 left in the third.

Following a free throw from FIU to open the fourth quarter, FGCU scored the game's next 25 points to put things away. The Eagles shot 9-for-17 during the run. FIU converted an old fashioned three-point play to end the run and close the game's scoring.

Dow added eight points and four rebounds in just 13 minutes of action due to foul trouble. She finished 3-for- 3 from the field. Erica Nelson (Kansas City, Mo./Lee Summit North HS) led the team with five assists while adding four points.

Jessica Cattani (Muskego, Wis./Muskego HS) had a pair of 3-pointers for six points off the bench. Lisa Zderadicka (Vienna, Austria/HAK Korneuburg) chipped in four points and four assists. Alyssa Blair (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie HS) had three points via her first collegiate 3-pointer.

As a team, FGCU finished 17-for-42 (40.5 percent) from 3-point range and is now averaging 15 per game to start the season. The final one against FIU came from Chandler Ryan (Groveland, Ill./Morton HS).

FOLLOW ALONG
For up-to-the-minute information and behind-the-scenes access to the women's basketball program, follow @FGCU_WBB on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook at /FGCUWBB.

COACH SMESKO
FGCU head coach Karl Smesko rallied the 2016-17 Eagles to their seventh-straight 25-win campaign, which culminated in the team's fourth NCAA tournament appearance in six seasons of eligibility. The seven-time ASUN Coach of the Year was named the espnW Mid-Major Coach of the Year in 2015-16 following a run that witnessed the Eagles finish a best-ever 33-6. Over a five-year stretch starting in 2011-12, FGCU racked up four ASUN seasons with a perfect record and capped the run with back-to-back 30 plus win seasons. In 2014-15, the team earned its first top-25 ranking and another NCAA Tournament trip as a seven seed, where FGCU won its first ever NCAA Division I Tournament game against No. 10 Oklahoma State. With 26 wins in 2016-17, Smesko has guided the Eagles to 13-straight 20-win seasons.  He maintains a record of 406-82 (.832) at FGCU, including a 160-15 (.914) mark in ASUN play. Over the past six seasons, he has guided FGCU to a 93-3 (.969) record in conference play. Smesko earned his 400th career coaching win in 2014-15 in just 493 career games, two games faster than UConn's Geno Auriemma. He holds a career head coaching record of 467-109 (.811). Smesko ranks among an elite list of just four active Division I coaches with a career win percentage of .800 or higher, joining Auriemma, Baylor's Kim Mulkey and Stanford's Tara VanDerveer in the esteemed group.

SUPPORT THE CAUSE 
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help.

IRMA RELIEF DONATIONS
In the wake of Hurricane Irma, many individuals and families throughout Southwest Florida are still in desperate need of assistance. To aid in those relief efforts, FGCU Athletics will be collecting donations at all Eagle home games for the immediate future. Donation items most needed include: non-perishable food, clothing, household items and first-aid supplies. Additionally, those unable to attend upcoming home games can drop off donations in canisters located in the Alico Arena lobby. All donations will be given to those hardest hit in Lee and Collier counties.