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jewett giles vs miami 03-22-19
Tessa Mortensen
62
FGCU FGCU 28-5
69
Winner Miami (FL) UM 25-8
FGCU FGCU
28-5
62
Final
69
Miami (FL) UM
25-8
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
FGCU FGCU 15 11 22 14 62
Miami (FL) UM 21 17 10 21 69

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | Nicholas Huenefeld (@niklaustradamus)

Jewett-Giles Scores 24, @FGCU_WBB Falls Just Short In Upset Bid Vs No. 4 Miami

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MIAMI - The 13th-seeded FGCU women's basketball team (28-5) battled back from a 14-point deficit to take a fourth-quarter lead, but 4th-seeded Miami ultimately secured a 69-62 win in a first-round NCAA Tournament matchup inside the Watsco Center on Friday.

"In the first half, I didn't think that we shot the ball very well. We wasted some possessions, not getting into some actions and we dug ourselves a little bit of a hole," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "I'm proud of the way we fought back in the second half and rallied to give ourselves a chance to win the game at the end, but you know, it didn't work out for us. But I'm proud of the effort our young ladies had and you know, we'll be back."

Keri Jewett-Giles scored a game-high 24 points for the Green and Blue while adding seven rebounds and three assists. It was the second-most points an FGCU player has ever scored in the Big Dance behind Kaneisha Atwater's 26 vs Oklahoma State in 2015.
 
Destiny Washington, who like Jewett-Giles was playing in her first NCAA Tournament game, added 10 points, four rebounds, three blocks and two steals, while Tytionia Adderly and Kerstie Phills each chipped in eight apiece. Adderly led the team in both rebounds (9) and assists (4).

The defeat was the first for FGCU since Dec. 30 against Duke. The 19-game streak was the third-longest in the nation after Rice lost earlier in the day.

The Hurricanes scored the game's first seven points and led by as many as nine in the opening frame, but 3-pointers from Phills (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Christian HS) and Nasrin Ulel pulled the Eagles within six.

The deficit was down to three with 6:01 left in the half and following a pair of blocks from Washington (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North HS) and Davion Wingate, FGCU had a fast break opportunity, but a turnover led to back-to-back 3-pointers for Miami, who pushed its lead to 12 at the break.

The Hurricanes scored the first basket of the second half to lead by 14, but from there, FGCU made its run. Jewett-Giles (Fort Myers, Fla./Dunbar HS) got things going with a layup and a 3-pointer. A few minutes later, Washington and Jewett-Giles made two more 3-pointers, and Ulel (Murrieta, Calif./Murrieta HS) drove in for a layup to trim the deficit to one.
 
Following that, the game saw a flurry to end the quarter as the teams combined for a trio of 3-pointers and a jumper in the final 1:34.
 
After Miami's Emese Hof put her team up two to open the fourth, Jewett-Giles buried a 3-pointer to give the Green and Blue its first lead of the game, 51-50, with 9:12 remaining.

However, with the game tied at 53, FGCU went on a 5:35 scoreless stretch. Miami used that time to build an 11-point lead, but Jewett-Giles scored four straight points and Adderly (Jupiter, Fla./Cardinal Newman HS) hit a jumper off the glass down low to pull the Eagles within five with 2:05 left.

Down six with 59 seconds left, Jewett-Giles hit a driving layup for FGCU, and the Eagles had a chance to trim it to one or two with 12 seconds left, but a 3-point attempt was blocked and Miami secured the game at the foul line.  

FGCU is now 2-6 all-time in NCAA Tournament games, but two of them have come in overtime and another was by two points. It was the Green and Blue's 12th-straight postseason appearance in 12 years of Division-I existence.

2012 - L 72-65 to No. 5 St. Bonaventure in OT
2014 - L 61-60 to No. 5 Oklahoma State in OT
2015 - W 75-67 over No. 10 Oklahoma State
2015 - L 65-47 to No. 2 Florida State
2017 - L 62-60 to No. 4 Miami (Fla.)
2018 - W 80-70 vs No. 5 Missouri
2018 - L 90-70 vs No. 4 Stanford
2019 - L 69-62 to No. 4 Miami

Tournament Single-Game Records
Points
26 - Kaneisha Atwater vs Oklahoma State, 03/21/15
24 - Keri Jewett-Giles vs Miami, 03/22/19
23 - China Dow vs Stanford, 03/19/18
23 - China Dow vs Missouri, 03/17/18
19 - Whitney Knight vs Oklahoma State, 03/21/15
16 - Lisa Zderadicka vs Stanford, 03/19/18
16 - Jenna Cobb vs Oklahoma State, 03/22/14
 
Rebounds
11 - Whitney Knight vs Oklahoma State, 03/22/14
11 - Sarah Hansen vs St. Bonaventure, 03/18/12
10 - Whitney Knight vs Oklahoma State, 03/21/15
9 - Tytionia Adderly vs Miami, 03/22/19
9 - Tytionia Adderly vs Missouri, 03/17/18
9 - Sarah Hansen vs Oklahoma State, 03/22/14
9 - Jenna Cobb vs Oklahoma State, 03/22/14
 
Assists
5 - Jordin Alexander vs Miami, 03/18/17
4 - Tytionia Adderly vs Miami, 03/22/19
4 - Erica Nelson vs Missouri, 03/17/18
4 - DyTiesha Dunson vs Oklahoma State, 03/21/15
4 - DyTiesha Dunson vs Oklahoma State, 03/22/14
4 - Kaneisha Atwater vs Oklahoma State, 03/22/14
3 - 10 Others
 
Steals
3 - Jenna Cobb vs Florida State, 03/23/15
3 - Kaneisha Atwater vs Oklahoma State, 03/22/14
3 - Whitney Knight vs Oklahoma State, 03/22/14
 
Blocks
4 - Whitney Knight vs Florida State, 03/23/15
3 - Destiny Washington vs Miami, 03/22/19
3 - Whitney Knight vs Oklahoma State, 03/22/14
2 - Whitney Knight vs Oklahoma State, 03/21/15
2 - Sarah Hansen vs Oklahoma State, 03/22/14
 
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 nine-time ASUN Coach of the Year (including 2018-19) 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 2018-19, Smesko has guided the Eagles to 15-straight 20-win seasons and nine-straight 25-win seasons. He maintains a record of 524-119 (.815) overall in his career, 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. 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. Second-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.
 
#FEEDFGCU
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 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 75 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 11+ seasons at the Division-I level. Additionally, in just seven+ seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 35 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 6th-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors' Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.35 GPA in the classroom in the Spring, 2018 and had an ASUN Conference and State of Florida best five teams earn the NCAA's Public Recognition Award for their Academic Progress Rate in their sport.  The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours – being recognized as one of two runners-up for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl.
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Players Mentioned

China Dow

#22 China Dow

G
5' 8"
Redshirt Senior
Erica Nelson

#11 Erica Nelson

G
5' 8"
Senior
Tytionia Adderly

#42 Tytionia Adderly

F
5' 10"
Junior
Keri Jewett-Giles

#3 Keri Jewett-Giles

G
5' 6"
Redshirt Junior
Kerstie Phills

#13 Kerstie Phills

G
5' 9"
Redshirt Sophomore
Nasrin Ulel

#31 Nasrin Ulel

G/F
5' 9"
Junior
Davion Wingate

#0 Davion Wingate

G
5' 6"
Redshirt Junior
Lisa Zderadicka

#5 Lisa Zderadicka

G
5' 6"
Redshirt Senior
Destiny Washington

#22 Destiny Washington

G/F
5' 10"
Redshirt Senior

Players Mentioned

China Dow

#22 China Dow

5' 8"
Redshirt Senior
G
Erica Nelson

#11 Erica Nelson

5' 8"
Senior
G
Tytionia Adderly

#42 Tytionia Adderly

5' 10"
Junior
F
Keri Jewett-Giles

#3 Keri Jewett-Giles

5' 6"
Redshirt Junior
G
Kerstie Phills

#13 Kerstie Phills

5' 9"
Redshirt Sophomore
G
Nasrin Ulel

#31 Nasrin Ulel

5' 9"
Junior
G/F
Davion Wingate

#0 Davion Wingate

5' 6"
Redshirt Junior
G
Lisa Zderadicka

#5 Lisa Zderadicka

5' 6"
Redshirt Senior
G
Destiny Washington

#22 Destiny Washington

5' 10"
Redshirt Senior
G/F