RIVIERA MAYA, Mexico - Tytionia Adderly produced a season-high 16 points and a game-high 14 rebounds as the FGCU women's basketball team (6-1) stunned defending national runner-up Notre Dame (4-3) 69-60 in the opener of the Cancun Challenge on Thursday afternoon in the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya.
 
The Eagles will now face No. 20 USF at 1:30 p.m. on Friday.
 
"That was one of the best games that Ty has ever played," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "She was fantastic - rebounding, defending and looking to score a lot more. It was just a great performance."
 
Notre Dame had not lost to a mid-major since DePaul handed them a 70-69 loss on Feb. 28, 2011 and likely their biggest upset loss since Northwestern State defeated them on March 24, 1995 in the WNIT. It was the second win of the season for FGCU over a reigning NCAA Tournament participant (UCF) and the program's 17th all-time against a Power 5 school, including its sixth over an ACC team.
 
Davion Wingate (19), Adderly (16), Keri Jewett-Giles (12) and Nasrin Ulel (11) all scored in double-figures for the Eagles, while 11 of Adderly's 14 rebounds came on the offensive glass. Jewett-Giles led all players with five assists and added four steals, while Alyssa Blair (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie HS) also had four steals in her third consecutive start.
 
Over the game's first few minutes, FGCU struggled to find its shot as the Eagles opened 1-for-11 from the field, which allowed Notre Dame to open up a 9-2 lead. A 3-pointer from Ulel (Murrieta, Calif./Murrieta HS) ended the drought, however, and Ashli O'Neal scored five straight off the bench as FGCU went on a 16-0 run over a six-and-a-half-minute stretch that lasted into the second quarter.
 
The Green and Blue never trailed again, but it wasn't easy. Notre Dame trimmed the deficit to one with 5:24 left in the first half, but Wingate (Atlanta, Ga./Stephenson HS) hit back-to-back 3-pointers, and FGCU eventually took a nine-point lead into the break following another 3-pointer from O'Neal (Wyoming, Ohio/Wyoming HS), who finished with eight points.
 
Both teams then combined for 49 points in the third quarter, although FGCU withstood Notre Dame's surge behind two key baskets from Jewett-Giles (Fort Myers, Fla./Dunbar HS), who made a layup and a 3-pointer after the Fighting Irish trimmed their deficit to three on a pair of occasions with under three minutes left in the frame.
 
Tyra Cox then subbed in late in the quarter and banked in a 3-pointer from the right wing to give FGCU a 10-point lead through three. In that crucial quarter, both teams combined to shoot 19-for-30, but FGCU turned it over just once compared to four times for Notre Dame and outscored the Fighting Irish 16-6 in the paint and 5-2 off turnovers.
 
Following the 3-pointer from Cox (Orlando, Fla./Lake Highland Prep), the Eagles concluded a 13-2 run with a straightaway 3-pointer from Ulel with 6:56 left to push the margin to 63-47, their largest of the game.
 
Notre Dame, however, responded with a 10-0 run as the Green and Blue committed four of its 10 total turnovers over the next four minutes. Wingate answered with back-to-back layups, with the second one on a beautiful pump fake and finish. Adderly then sealed the game from the foul line in the final minute.
 
"You have to give (Notre Dame) a lot of credit," Smesko said. "They didn't quit and really started attacking us. They were able to score quickly and get back in the game. We did a good job taking care of the ball until the end of the game and then we kind of fumbled it a couple times, which really hurt us. Fortunately, we made plays down the stretch and were able to pull out a very good victory."
 
Despite the size differential, FGCU outscored Notre Dame 34-26 in the paint and 13-2 in second chance points. They also held a 20-9 advantage in points off turnovers.
 
Notes
Adderly (Jupiter, Fla./Cardinal Newman HS) fell just one shy of matching her season-high rebound total while tallying double-digits for the fourth time in five games.
 
With her first of the back-to-back 3-pointers in the second quarter, Wingate joined Jewett-Giles as a member of the 1,000 point club. She now has 1,015 in her NCAA career. Ulel is eight points away from joining the duo.
 
Thursday's game was the first time Smesko and Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw faced each other. Smesko (3rd, .815) and McGraw (5th, .770) both ranked among the top five winningest active women's basketball coaches in Division I history. Each of them has led their programs to nine-straight 25-win seasons, two of only four teams to do that along with UConn and Baylor.
 
South Dakota State knocked off No. 20 USF 61-50 in the other game on Thursday.
 
TICKET INFORMATION
Season and mini-plan packages for the 2019-20 FGCU women's basketball team are now on sale. More information can be accessed by visiting FGCUTickets.com. To purchase tickets, or for additional inquiries, call the FGCU Ticket Office at 239-590-7145 Monday-Friday from 9 AM-5 PM.

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 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.

COACH SMESKO
FGCU head coach Karl Smesko led the 2018-19 Eagles to the program's fifth undefeated conference regular season since 2011-12, as well as the ninth consecutive season with at least 25 victories. The Green and Blue finished 28-5 overall and 16-0 in ASUN play, capturing the team's ninth ASUN regular season championship and sixth ASUN tournament championship. The team finished the season receiving votes in the final AP Poll and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in eight seasons before falling to host No. 19 Miami in the first round. It was the team's 12th-straight postseason appearance in 12 years of Division-I existence - the only program to ever do such.

Over the past five seasons, Smesko has guided FGCU to three 30-plus win seasons while recording a 149-28 (.841) record overall. That win total ranks eighth-best in the nation over that stretch - the most among all mid-majors and ahead of programs such as Oregon State and Stanford.

Including 2018-19, Smesko has also guided the Eagles to 15-straight 20-win seasons. He maintains a record of 530-120 (.815) overall in his career (third highest winning percentage among active D1 coaches behind only UConn's Geno Auriemma and Baylor's Kim Mulkey), including a 186-16 (.921) mark in ASUN play. Over the past eight seasons (including 2018-19), he has guided FGCU to a 124-4 (.969) record in conference play with five undefeated seasons. The now nine-time ASUN Coach of the Year earned his 400th career coaching win in 2014-15 in just 493 career games, two games faster than Auriemma.

#FEEDFGCU
FGCU Athletics sponsors events in November and April 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 raise awareness.

ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 80 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 12 seasons at the Division-I level. Additionally, in just eight seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 36 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Seven FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport - including both men's and women's soccer again in 2018. In 2016-17, the Green and Blue posted a department-best sixth-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors' Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. In 2018-19, the Eagles had an ASUN and state of Florida best seven teams earn the NCAA's Public Recognition Award for their Academic Progress Rate in their sport. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.35 GPA in the classroom in the spring 2018 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for twenty consecutive semesters. The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours in 2017 - being recognized as one of two runners-up for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl.
 
--FGCUATHLETICS.COM--