FORT MYERS, Fla. - Nasrin Ulel poured in a game-high 23 points to lead four in double-figures as the FGCU women's basketball team (11-1) routed Central Connecticut State 94-60 inside Alico Arena on Tuesday.
 
With the victory, FGCU has won eight straight overall as well as 16 in a row in Alico Arena, which is the fourth-longest home streak in the nation. The Eagles are now set up for a home showdown with LSU (8-2) on Thursday at 7 p.m.
 
"I thought Central Connecticut State came out really strong in the first quarter," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "They executed well offensively, and we made some defensive mistakes. Fortunately, we forced some turnovers in the second quarter and were able to turn them into some points. I thought Nasrin (Ulel) and (Kerstie) Phills gave us a big lift, especially in that second quarter, and that helped us get some separation. Fortunately, we were able to extend the lead at the start of the third quarter, which allowed us to get everyone in the game."
 
Ulel (Murrieta, Calif./Murrieta HS) matched her season-highs in points (23) and field goals made (9) while adding four assists. It was the fifth career 20 plus point effort of her career and her second of the season (Nov. 29 vs USF).
 
Meanwhile, the trio of Davion Wingate (15), Keri Jewett-Giles (14) and Kerstie Phills (14) combined for 43 points.
 
Wingate was an efficient 7-for-10 from the field, while Jewett-Giles (Fort Myers, Fla./Dunbar HS) had a season-high six steals along with three rebounds.
 
For Phills (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Christian HS), she set a new scoring-high while wearing the Green and Blue and matched her season-high in rebounds. She finished a perfect 6-for-6 from the field, grabbed three of her rebounds on the offensive glass and is averaging 13.5 points and eight rebounds over the past two games.
 
Tytionia Adderly (Jupiter, Fla./Cardinal Newman HS) produced another solid all-around performance. She shot 3-for-4 from the field and finished with seven points, seven rebounds, a team-high five assists and a steal.
 
Early on, FGCU struggled to pull away from the winless Blue Devils, who trailed the Eagles by just four through the first 10 minutes. They even held three leads early, but Wingate (Atlanta, Ga./Stephenson HS) hit a driving layup in the final 30 seconds, and Ashli O'Neal (Wyoming, Ohio/Wyoming HS) drew a charge on the next possession and made 1-for-2 at the foul line with 0.4 seconds left to give FGCU a four-point lead.
 
The Green and Blue led by six with 6:09 left in the half, but a 13-3 run that was started and capped by a jumper and a 3-pointer from Phills pushed the margin to 44-28 with 2:10 remaining. Following a pair of free throws from CCSU's Ashley Forker, Ulel scored five straight points and Phills hit a driving layup to beat the buzzer and cap a 7-0 run to close the half and give FGCU a 21-point lead at the break.
 
FGCU continued the surge by scoring 15 of the next 20 points to open the second half, opening up a 66-35 lead with 4:31 left following a layup from Ulel. An old-fashioned 3-point play from Tanner Bryant gave the Eagles their largest lead, 37, with 5:27 left in the game.
 
Other contributors in the win included: Emma List (Colorado Springs, Colo./Discovery Canyon Campus), who made all five of her free throw attempts en route to seven points and Bryant (Washington Court House, Ohio/Miami Trace HS), who had seven points in eight minutes off the bench. Sheahen Dowling (Chicago, Ill./Trinity HS) had three assists in 12 minutes off the bench.
 
Defensively, FGCU held CCSU to a 2-for-12 finish from 3-point range. They also forced 19 turnovers, scored 23 going the other way and contributed 56 points in the paint, including 13 of the second-chance variety.
 
Notes
Prior to the game, the trio of Ulel, Wingate and Jewett-Giles were honored for recently eclipsing 1,000 career NCAA points. The Eagles are one of only three schools nationally with three such players, joining Oregon (4) and James Madison (3).


 
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 535-120 (.816) 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--