KENNESAW, Ga. - Destiny Washington poured in a game-high 19 points as the FGCU women's basketball team (13-4, 4-0 ASUN) won its fourth-straight game with a 69-46 victory over Kennesaw State (5-12, 1-3) on Saturday.

"We played a great third quarter to break open the game, and we had a good defensive effort" FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "Ty was outstanding, while Des and Lisa both had great games."

The victory was FGCU's fourth straight to open the calendar year, and the Eagles pushed their ASUN regular season winning streak to 11 straight and 17 of the past 18. Of those 18, 10 have come on the road, including three this year. Furthermore, the Green and Blue has now won 112 of its past 116 regular season conference games dating back to 2011-12.

An 8-0 run to close the first half that featured a key 3-pointer from Tanner Bryant (Washington Court House, Ohio/Miami Trace HS) gave FGCU a 14-point lead. The Eagles then put the game away with a dominant 22-5 third quarter. In those 10 minutes, the Green and Blue held Kennesaw State to a 1-for-12 performance from the field, and three of their points came from the foul line.

Meanwhile, Lisa Zderadicka led the offense with eight points in the frame, while Kerstie Phills (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Christian HS) hit a pair of 3-pointers in the final minute to give FGCU a 58-27 lead.
 
Washington (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North HS) finished 8-for-14 from the field, while adding eight rebounds and team-high three blocks. Over the past four games, the back-to-back reigning ASUN newcomer of the week is averaging just under 15 points per contest with double-figures in each.

Zderadicka (Vienna, Austria/HAK Korneuburg) added 15 points for her third consecutive double-digit effort. She became the 21st player in program history to be perfect from the foul line (6-for-6) while attempting at least six shots, and she also added a team-high three assists.

Tytionia Adderly produced nine points and 13 rebounds, while five other players had at least three points. Adderly's (Jupiter, Fla./Cardinal Newman HS) double-digit effort was her fifth-straight against Kennesaw State to open her career, and she is now just two rebounds shy of becoming only the third player in program history with 700 in a career.

Defensively, FGCU held Kennesaw State to a 14-for-47 performance from the field, which is a season-low for field goals allowed, and the .298 field goal percentage for the Owls represents the lowest the Eagles have allowed against a Division-I opponent this year.

Up Next
FGCU will return home to host Lipscomb at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. Fans are encouraged to wear blue.
 
1,000 Point Watch
Zderadicka moved to within 45 points of 1,000 in her NCAA career with Saturday's performance, while Washington eclipsed 900 career points and sits at 912.
 
WE'VE GOT YOUR SEAT
Experience FGCU basketball this season. The following ticket opportunities are on sale now:
Group Sales
Bring your group of 20 or more to an FGCU men's or women's basketball game. All group tickets include an FGCU hat ($15 value), a $5 game day discount at The Boardwalk restaurant, in-game group recognition and more. For more information on group outings, click 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.

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 509-118 (.812) overall in his career, including a 174-16 (.916) mark in ASUN play. Over the past seven + seasons, he has guided FGCU to a 110-4 (.965) 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 2018-19, 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.
 
SUPPORT THE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PROGRAM
Do you enjoy watching or following the FGCU women's basketball program? Would you like to play a role in the growth of the program and help take it to heights never before experienced? If so, you can reach out to Director of Advancement, Matt Ring, about opportunities to make an impact on the experiences of our student-athletes. He can be reached by email at mring@fgcu.edu or by office phone at 239-745-4434.