Matchup: FGCU (1-1) vs Florida International (0-3)
When: Friday Nov. 16 at 5 p.m.
Rankings: FGCU is No. 15 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll
Where: Fort Myers, Fla. | Alico Arena
Tickets: Here
Watch: ESPN3 | Tom James (PBP) | Pete Lonergan (Color)
Game Notes: FGCU (Interactive | Printable) FIU (Interactive | Printable)
Live Stats (StatBroadcast): here
Series: FGCU leads 9-0 (FGCU won 88-52 on Nov. 15 last year)
Coaches: Karl Smesko (17th season at FGCU - 436-88; 20th season overall - 497-115 | Tiara Malcom (3rd season at Florida International - 13-48; same overall)
Game Sponsor: Follett Bookstore
Promotions: Green Out | Fansgiving (giveaways all game long to fans who donate to FGCU, Harry Chapin Food Banks or Heroes Unmasked)
 
FORT MYERS, Fla. - The FGCU women's basketball team (1-1), which is ranked 15th in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major poll, will look for its second straight victory in a home matchup against Florida International (0-3) on Friday at 5 p.m. in Alico Arena.

The game will be the first of a doubleheader with the men hosting South Dakota State at 8 p.m. At halftime of the men's game, the women's basketball team will have a ring ceremony to honor last year's ASUN tournament championship and first round NCAA tournament victory over Missouri.

Series History
FGCU is 9-0 all-time against Florida International, including 4-0 at home, as the two teams have met once in each of the past nine seasons. In those matchups, the Green and Blue are averaging 82.3 points per contest. The highest scoring output came in a 97-49 win in Alico Arena on Nov. 18 when Stephanie Haas led five players in double figures with 15. Current assistant coach Jenna Cobb had 12 points and four assists in 23 minutes. Last year's meeting in Miami featured 52 combined points from Nasrin Ulel (28) and Rosemarie Julien (24). Tytionia Adderly had a game-high 16 rebounds, which was more than half the total (31) that Florida International had as a team.

Year-by-Year Results
12/22/09 - W 76-62 (Miami, Fla.)
12/15/10 - W 86-71 (Alico Arena)
11/14/11 - W 80-72 (Miami, Fla.)
11/14/12 - W 69-45 (Alico Arena)
11/08/13 - W 75-55 (Miami, Fla.)
11/18/14 - W 97-49 (Alico Arena)
11/23/15 - W 81-53 (Miami, Fla.)
11/15/16 - W 89-42 (Alico Arena)
11/15/17 - W 88-52 (Miami, Fla.)

Approaching History
FGCU head coach Karl Smesko entered this season with a 496-114 (.813) career head coaching record, which ranked him as the third winningest active Division-I head coach behind UConn's Geno Auriemma (1,027-136, .883) and Baylor's Kim Mulkey (539-98, .846). He enters Friday with 497 wins, which puts him just three wins shy of a major coaching milestone, his 500th win. He earned his 400th victory in just 493 games, which was two faster than UConn's Geno Auriemma.

Here's a look at his previous milestones:

100th career win – Dec. 28, 2003 vs Cheyney (85-46)
200th career win – Jan. 19, 2008 vs Kennesaw State (75-64)
300th career win – Dec. 19, 2011 vs USC Upstate (77-53)
400th career win – Feb. 21, 2015 vs USC Upstate (75-59)
500th career win – three wins away

Last Time Out
The Green and Blue are coming off a 99-68 win in their home opener over Florida Memorial on Monday in which Chandler Ryan (Groveland, Ill./Morton HS) and Alyssa Blair (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie HS) each scored a career-high 13 points. Keri Jewett-Giles (Fort Myers, Fla./Dunbar HS), playing in her front of her hometown crowd for the first time since transferring from Southern Miss, netted a season-high 15 points.

Inside Look at Florida International
FIU's Ce'Nara Skanes posted the team's first double-double on Monday against Georgia State with 10 points and 12 rebounds off the bench…the team returns three players who logged minutes last year, including TaMiracle Taylor, Cabria Lee and Shante Walker…FIU features four international players on this year's roster, including three from Europe and one from Canada

Mid-Major Power
Over the past four seasons, FGCU has recorded 121 wins, which is the most among all mid-majors and seventh-most among any Division-I program, trailing only UConn (148), Notre Dame (137), Baylor (135), South Carolina (129), Mississippi State (126) and Maryland (123). On top of that, the program is one of only six in Division-I with three 30-win seasons during that stretch – joining UConn, Baylor, Notre Dame, Maryland and South Carolina.
 
Leading the 3-Point Revolution
At FGCU, Smesko has turned FGCU into one of the premier 3-point shooting teams in the nation. In 16 + seasons, his teams have shot a combined 4,881-for-13,994 (.350) from long range, or 9.31 per game. In fact, the team has made at least one 3-point field goal in 410 straight games and went without at least one make in only one game in program history – Feb. 21, 2006 vs Lynn University (0-for-11).

In 2017-18, the Green and Blue made an NCAA Division-I single season record 431 3-pointers on 1,190 attempts, equating out to a .362 percentage. In doing so, the team made and attempted over twice as many as they did in the program's initial season in 2002-03 (212-for-535). Since that first year, FGCU has made at least 300 in a season 10 times, including each of the past nine seasons.

2002-03 --- 212-for-535 (.396)
2003-04 --- 118-for-406 (.291)
2004-05 --- 253-for-722 (.350)
2005-06 --- 242-for-747 (.324)
2006-07 --- 337-for-891 (.378)
2007-08 --- 255-for-734 (.347)
2008-09 --- 296-for-763 (.388)
2009-10 --- 317-for-876 (.362)
2010-11 --- 350-for-940 (.372)
2011-12 --- 342-for-925 (.370)
2012-13 --- 319-for-974 (.328)
2013-14 --- 347-for-1,000 (.347)
2014-15 --- 327-for-928 (.352)
2015-16 --- 372-for-1,194 (.312)
2016-17 --- 338-for-1,058 (.319)
2017-18 --- 431-for-1,190 (.362)
2018-19 --- 25-for-77 (.325)
TOTALS: 4,881-for-13,994 (.350)

Including both games this season, FGCU has made at least 10 or more 3-point field goals in a single game 239 times, including a single-season record 25 times in 2017-18. They have at least 15 games with at least 10 or more in each of the past 10 seasons.

ASUN Preseason Awards
Adderly (Jupiter, Fla./Cardinal Newman HS) and Ulel (Murrieta, Calif./Murrieta HS) were each named to the ASUN's preseason all-conference team a couple weeks ago, while the Green and Blue took eight of the nine first-place votes and was selected to repeat as the ASUN champion.

McCaskill Returns
Former FGCU women's basketball student-athlete Sydnei McCaskill (2015-17) has returned to the program as the new video coordinator, replacing another former student-athlete, Stephanie Haas, who departed for an assistant coaching position at Ohio University. This will represent the third consecutive season that the Green and Blue's coaching staff is comprised of all former student-athletes of head coach Karl Smesko.

FGCU Record Book

Rebounds 
1. 887 - Sarah HANSEN (329o-558d) - 2010-14
2. 735 - Whitney KNIGHT (114o-621d) - 2011-12,13-16
3. 658 - Adrianne MCNALLY (240o-418d) - 2006-10
4. 640 - Robyn SWAIN (236o-404d) - 2002-04
5. 603 - Courtney CHIHIL (183o-420d) - 2008-12
6. 578 - Tytionia ADDERLY (244o-334d) - 2016-present 
7. 508 - Kaneisha ATWATER (187o-321d) - 2013-16
8. 498 - Taylor GRADINJAN (117o-381d) - 2012-13,14-18
9. 422 - Katie MEADOR (193o-229d) - 2012-16
10. 408 - Kate SCHRADER (194o-214d) - 2005-07
 
Rebounding average (min. 40 games) 
1. 11.2 - Robyn SWAIN (57 games) - 2002-04
2. 8.4 - Tytionia ADDERLY (69 games) - 2016-present 
3. 6.7 - Sarah HANSEN (132 games) - 2010-14
4. 6.3 - Kate SCHRADER (65 games) - 2005-07
5. 5.8 - Andrea CLARKE (55 games) - 2003-05
6. 5.7 - Whitney KNIGHT (130 games) - 2011-12,13-16
7. 5.6 - Delia DE LA TORRE (61 games) - 2006-08
8. 5.5 - Noreen MCCALLUM (57 games) - 2002-04
9. 5.4 - Chelsea LYLES (62 games) - 2008-10
10. 5.1 - Adrianne MCNALLY (128 games) - 2006-10
 
Defensive rebounds 
1. 621 - Whitney KNIGHT (114o-621d) - 2011-12,13-16
2. 558 - Sarah HANSEN (329o-558d) - 2010-14
3. 420 - Courtney CHIHIL (183o-420d) - 2008-12
4. 418 - Adrianne MCNALLY (240o-418d) - 2006-10
5. 404 - Robyn SWAIN (236o-404d) - 2002-04
6. 381 - Taylor GRADINJAN (117o-381d) - 2012-13,14-18
7. 334 - Tytionia ADDERLY (244o-334d) - 2016-present
8. 324 - DyTiesha DUNSON (61o-324d) - 2012-16
9. 321 - Kaneisha ATWATER (187o-321d) - 2013-16
10. 269 - Stephanie HAAS (96o-269d) - 2012-16
 
Offensive rebounds 
1. 329 - Sarah HANSEN (329o-558d) - 2010-14
2. 244 - Tytionia ADDERLY (244o-334d) - 2016-present 
3. 240 - Adrianne MCNALLY (240o-418d) - 2006-10
4. 236 - Robyn SWAIN (236o-404d) - 2002-04
5. 194 - Kate SCHRADER (194o-214d) - 2005-07
6. 193 - Katie MEADOR (193o-229d) - 2012-16
7. 187 - Kaneisha ATWATER (187o-321d) - 2013-16
8. 183 - Courtney CHIHIL (183o-420d) - 2008-12
9. 127 - Noreen MCCALLUM (127o-189d) - 2002-04
10. 122 - Andrea CLARKE (122o-196d) - 2003-05
 
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.