FORT MYERS, Fla. - Six players scored in double-figures, led by 15 from hometown-favorite Keri Jewett-Giles, as the FGCU women's basketball team (1-1) cruised past Florida Memorial (3-3) 99-68 in Alico Arena on Monday.

FGCU's scoring output represented the second-most scored in a home opener in program history behind a 100-31 win over Warner on Nov. 10, 2012. Davion Wingate, Tyra Cox and Brittany Johnson each scored their first points in the Green and Blue, and 11 different players entered the scoring column.

"I thought we were a little better offensively than last game," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "We shared the ball more, we moved the ball more. I thought we got good shots on offense for the most part. The concern is obviously on defense. We fouled too much in the first half and they were able to beat us off the dribble and get the ball into the paint. That's something we're going to have to work on."
 
Jewett-Giles (Fort Myers, Fla./Dunbar HS), who sat out last season after transferring from Southern Miss, finished 6-for-11 from the field and added four rebounds, three assists and one steal.

"It was just a great experience playing in front of my home crowd," Jewett-Giles said. "I'm just glad to be back home and playing for this university. It's just a great feeling. Last year, I spent a lot of time sitting out. I've been waiting forever to get back."

Lisa Zderadicka (Vienna, Austria/HAK Korneuburg) opened the game with a layup, and the Green and Blue went on a 15-0 run moments later to open up a 19-4 lead. Kerstie Phills (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Christian HS) closed the quarter with an old fashioned 3-point play to push the margin to 18. The 33-point first quarter tied the Dec. 4, 2016 performance against Ave Maria for the program's most in an opening quarter since the NCAA went to its current format.

In the second, Chandler Ryan and Alyssa Blair combined for a trio of 3-point field goals in the final two minutes, including one at the buzzer from Blair (Sun Prairie, Wisc./Sun Prairie HS) to give the Eagles a 22-point margin at the break.

Jewett-Giles then scored eight points to spur a 13-4 run to open the second half, giving FGCU a 70-39 lead. Another old fashioned 3-point play, this one from Cox (Orlando, Fla./Lake Highland Prep), capped off an 11-0 run in the fourth quarter. A 3-pointer from Tanner Bryant, and a layup from Johnson (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington North HS) then gave the Green and Blue its largest lead, 36, in the final two minutes.

Outside of the team-high from Jewett-Giles, three players reached a new career-high in scoring including Alyssa Blair (13), Chandler Ryan (13) and Bryant (Washington Court House, Ohio/Miami Trace HS).

Blair and Ryan (Groveland, Ill./Morton HS) each made four 3-pointers en route to eclipsing their previous scoring-high by one apiece. Bryant had 10 points in 14 minutes for her first double-digit scoring performance in just her second collegiate game.

Tytionia Adderly (Jupiter, Fla./Cardinal Newman HS), who holds the two best single-seasons in Alico Arena rebounding history with 161 and 158, got her junior season off to the right start with a game-high 13 caroms. It was her 15th career game with at least that many, and she needs just 22 rebounds to become just the program's fourth player in the Division-I era with 600 or more.

As a team, FGCU's 59 rebounds was just three shy of matching the Alico Arena record as the team improved to 11-0 all-time against Florida Memorial. The 99-point outburst is tied for the eighth-most points in a Division-I era game, and the team's field goals made (38) and attempted (78) is tied for fifth and fourth-most, respectively, in the same era.

FGCU will be back in action at home this Friday at 5 p.m. against Florida International (0-3). The Eagles have met FIU once each year since 2009 and are 9-0 all-time against them.

GET YOUR PUNCH PASS
Get the best value in Southwest Florida with the FGCU Basketball Punch Pass. Three games for $15 or seven games for $30. Purchase online here.

GROUP TICKETS
Bring your group of 20 or more to an FGCU basketball game. Group tickets start as low as $7 per person and include a $5 off coupon for game day at The Boardwalk restaurant on the FGCU Waterfront. Contact the ticket office for more information 239-590-7145 or tickets@fgcu.edu.

SEASON TICKETS AVAILABLE
Fans can purchase or learn more about season tickets by contacting an Alico Arena Ticket Office representative over the phone at 239-590-7145 or by visiting the office Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Additional information is available on FGCUTickets.com.
 
As an added incentive, new or returning season-ticket holders who purchase seats will be entered into a contest for an FGCU jersey autographed by either the women's or men's team.
 
Season ticket seat locations are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Like in the past, Eagles Club membership may be required for certain seats, with giving levels utilized for access to better locations.
 
YOUNG ALUMNI
FGCU recently announced a program in which young alumni – those who have graduated from FGCU within the past five years – can save between 30-70 percent off Priority Level 4 and 5 section season tickets, in addition to receiving discounted Eagles Club membership, which is needed for select premier seats inside Alico Arena. Those interested in taking advantage of this offer are asked to click here or visit FGCUAthletics.com/YoungAlumni to complete a form. Following that, an FGCU Ticket Office representative will be in contact to set up an account. For more information, call 239-590-7145, email tickets@fgcu.edu or visit the Alico Arena Ticket Office Monday-Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
 
COACH SMESKO
FGCU head coach Karl Smesko led the 2017-18 Eagles to another historic season. The Green and Blue finished 31-5 overall and 13-1 in ASUN play, capturing the program's eighth ASUN regular season championship and fifth ASUN tournament championship. The team finished the season ranked 25th in the final USA Today Coaches Poll, recaptured the NCAA record for most 3-point field goals made in a season with 431 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in seven seasons, where the Eagles knocked off 5th-seeded and No. 15 ranked Missouri in the opening round. It was the team's second tournament win over the past three appearances. Over the course of the season, FGCU knocked off three ranked teams - No. 15 Missouri, No. 20 Kentucky and No. 21 DePaul.

Over the past four seasons, Smesko has guided FGCU to three 30 plus win seasons while recording a 121-23 (.840) record overall. The now eight-time ASUN Coach of the Year rallied the 2016-17 team to its seventh straight 25-win campaign, culminating in an ASUN tournament title and NCAA Tournament appearance. In 2015-16, he was named the espnW mid-major coach of the year following a run that witnessed the Eagles claim a WNIT runner-up finish and a Division-I program best ever 33-6 record. In 2014-15, the team achieved its first-ever top-25 ranking and made another trip to the NCAA Tournament, where the Eagles earned a No. 7 seed and won the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament game, toppling No. 10 seed Oklahoma State.

Including the 2017-18 campaign, Smesko has guided the Eagles to 14-straight 20-win seasons and eight-straight 25-win seasons. He maintains a record of 497-115 (.812) overall in his career, including a 170-16 (.914) mark in ASUN play. Over the past seven seasons, he has guided FGCU to a 106-4 (.964) record in conference play with four undefeated seasons. Smesko earned his 400th career coaching win in 2014-15 in just 493 career games, two games faster than UConn's Geno Auriemma. Entering 2016-17, he ranked 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. Over the past year, first-year NCAA Division-I head coaches Nancy Fahey (Illinois) and Bart Brooks (Belmont) pushed the list to six.

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.

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 contribute, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help.