FORT MYERS, Fla. - The FGCU women's basketball team (4-2) will return home Wednesday night for a 5 p.m. matchup against Houston (3-4) in Alico Arena.

The game, which is sponsored by Dunkin' Donuts, will be the first of a doubleheader with the men hosting Florida International at 7:30 p.m. Prior to the game, the athletic department will honor Coach Smesko for achieving his 500th career victory this past weekend. At halftime of the men's game, we will honor last spring's ASUN athletic and academic award recipients.
 
Matchup: FGCU (4-2) vs Houston (3-4)
When: Wednesday Nov. 28 at 5 p.m.
Rankings: FGCU is No. 12 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll
Where: Fort Myers, Fla. | Alico Arena
Tickets: Here
Watch: ESPN3 | David Moulton (PBP) | J. Webb Horton (Color)
Game Notes: FGCU (Interactive | Printable) Houston (Printable)
Live Stats (StatBroadcast): here 
Series: First-ever meeting
Coaches: Karl Smesko (17th season at FGCU - 439-89; 20th season overall - 500-116 | Ronald Hughey (5th season at Houston - 47-83; same overall)
Game Sponsor: Dunkin' Donuts
Promotions: White Out | Star Wars costume contest (youth in costume get free GA ticket with purchasing adult, fans in costume eligible for prizes) | Harry Chapin Food Banks or Heroes Unmasked donations accepted

Series History
This will be the first meeting between FGCU and Houston.

Mr. 500
FGCU head coach Karl Smesko, who entered this season with a 496-114 (.813) career head coaching record, captured his 500th career victory in Sunday's 90-71 win over American. Entering this season, he was 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 earned his 400th victory in just 493 games, which was two faster than Auriemma.

Here's a look at his milestone victories:

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 – Nov. 28, 2018 vs American (90-71)

Last Time Out
FGCU is coming off a trip to Honolulu this past weekend, where they went 2-1 over three games against Stanford (L 88-65), Hawaii (W 73-67) and American (W 90-71) in the Rainbow Wahine Showdown. The trio of Nasrin Ulel (19.3 PPG), Keri Jewett-Giles (18.3 PPG) and Lisa Zderadicka (11.0 PPG) led the Eagles in scoring, while Jewett-Giles (Fort Myers, Fla./Dunbar HS) and Ulel (Murrieta, Calif./Murrieta HS) both earned All-Rainbow Wahine Showdown team recognition. Ulel tied her career-high with 28 points in a win over American, while Jewett-Giles finished one shy of her career-high in the same game.

Houston Preview
Houston (3-4) enters Wednesday's matchup coming off a double overtime loss to New Mexico on Saturday. Their four losses are to California by one, Louisiana Tech by 12 in overtime, Boston College by seven and the aforementioned New Mexico game, plus they've defeated Georgia Tech in double overtime.
 
The Cougars are scoring 80.7 points per game which places Houston 30th in the country and second in the AAC. They've already topped the 100-assist mark, where they rank 35th in the country and second in the AAC with 101. Individually, Jasmyne Harris has 29 assists this season, which places her second in the conference and 61st in the nation.
 
Houston is forcing 26.86 turnovers per game, which leads their conference and ranks fifth in the country. The Cougars are also pulling 13.4 steals per game which leads the league, while their 94 total steals are second in the country and first in the conference.

Houston Leaders
PPG: Jasmyne Harris (20.9), Serithia Hawkins (12.3), Alyssa Okoene (11.3), Angela Harris (11.2)
RPG: Alyssa Okoene (8.6), Serithia Hawkins (5.7), Jasmyne Harris (5.6)
APG: Jasmyne Harris (4.1), Doria Branch (3.0), Angela Harris (1.8)
SPG: Jasmyne Harris (4.1), Angela Harris (2.3), Serithia Hawkins (1.9)
BPG: Dorian Branch (0.7), Jasmyne Harris (0.7), Alyssa Okoene (0.7)

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 4,927-for-14,096 (.350) from long range, or 9.33 per game. In fact, the team has made at least one 3-point field goal in 415 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 --- 71-for-213 (.333)
TOTALS: 4,927-for-14,096 (.350)

Including five of six games this year, FGCU has made at least 10 or more 3-point field goals in a single game 242 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
Tytionia Adderly (Jupiter, Fla./Cardinal Newman HS) and Ulel were each named to the ASUN's preseason all-conference team, 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. 597 - Tytionia ADDERLY (250o-347d) - 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. 8.2 - Tytionia ADDERLY (73 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. 347 - Tytionia ADDERLY (250o-347d) - 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. 250 - Tytionia ADDERLY (250o-347d) - 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
 
WE'VE GOT YOUR SEAT
Experience FGCU basketball this season. The following ticket opportunities are on sale now:
Punch Pass
- Three entries for $15 or seven entries for $30. Remainingp Punch Pass games: Men vs Colgate and Keiser; Women vs Johnson and Wales, Abilene Christian, Coppin State, and UAB. Purchase online HERE or call 239-590-7145.
Single Game Tickets
- Single game tickets are available for all remaining home games. Discounts are available for current or former military and youth ages 3-15. Purchase online HERE or call 239-590-7145.
Group Sales
- Bring your group of 20 or more to an FGCU men's or women's basketball game. All group tickets include a $5 game day discount at The Boardwalk restaurant and in game group recognition. For more information on group outings, click HERE or call 239-590-7145.
Young Alumni
FGCU alumni from the classes of 2014-18 save 30-70 percent off of Priority 4 or 5 GA tickets. Click HERE to fill out an interest form, or call 239-590-7145 to learn more.

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 500-116 (.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.