FLORENCE, Ala. - In a game that featured six of the NCAA's all-time 1,000 point scorers, Keri Jewett-Giles (Fort Myers, Fla.) poured in a game-high 25 points - including 13 in the fourth quarter alone, to lead the FGCU women's basketball team (18-2, 5-0) to a 74-63 win over North Alabama (13-4, 4-1) on the road in Flowers Hall on Saturday.
 
With the win, the Eagles became the first team nationally to reach 18 wins while pushing the nation's third-longest conference winning streak to 33 straight. Overall, they've now won seven straight, while conversely snapping North Alabama's streak at four. Furthermore, the Green and Blue now own sole possession of first place in the conference standings heading into Monday's 7 p.m. home game against Kennesaw State.
 
"This was a very difficult game," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "North Alabama is a really good team. It was just good to see us be able to come together and come from behind in the second half and find a way to win. Keri was exceptional. Nas played great defense. Everyone who got out there made a positive contribution, so that was a positive step."
 
After a first half that saw six ties and 11 lead changes, North Alabama scored five straight to open up a 42-36 lead with 4:23 left in the third quarter. However, the trio of Davion Wingate (Atlanta, Ga.), Jewett-Giles and Ashli O'Neal (Wyoming, Ohio) combined for six straight points in just over a minute to tie the game, and the surge continued as the Eagles closed the quarter on a 12-0 run. Six of those points came from Wingate, while four came from Jewett-Giles.
 
Then, with her team up 55-49 and 5:35 remaining, Jewett-Giles scored FGCU's next 13 points, including a pair of free throws with 1:15 left that gave the Eagles an 11-point lead.
 
Jewett-Giles finished 10-for-23 from the field en route to her game-high 25 points while adding three rebounds and two assists. It was the most field goal attempts by an Eagle all-time against an ASUN opponent in the regular season. Wingate (14) chipped in 14 points, three steals, three rebounds and two assists, while Nasrin Ulel (Murrieta, Calif.) had 11 points, four rebounds and two steals.
 
With her nine points, O'Neal is now two shy of reaching 1,000 in her NCAA career. She added five rebounds and went 4-for-4 from the foul line.
 
Meanwhile, Tytionia Adderly (Jupiter, Fla.) produced six points along with team-highs in rebounds (9), assists (5) and steals (3). Aside from Wingate, Tyra Cox (Orlando, Fla.) also tied Adderly for the team-high in steals.
 
FGCU's 12-for-12 performance from the free throw line represented the third time they've attempted double-digits without a miss against a conference team in the regular season.
 
North Alabama's Emma Wallen, who came in averaging over 13 points per game, was held scoreless over 37 minutes on 0-for-5 shooting. Her sister, Ivy, joined Olivia Noah with a team-high 17 points for the Lions. Ansley Eubank (13) and Kenysha Coulson (12) also scored in double-figures.
 
Notes
Adderly is now one start away from tying Courtney Chihil (111, 2008-12) for the third-most in the program's Division I era. She also moved into a tie with Chihil (120) for the 10th-most games played. Furthermore, she has 1,035 career rebounds, which moves her past Kayla Gordon (Jacksonville, 1,031, 2014-18) for 10th place on the ASUN career list.
 
With her two steals, Ulel has 115 in her career, which moves her past Taylor Gradinjan (114, 2012-18) for ninth-most in the program's Division I era. She also pushed her career scoring total to 1,177, which is five shy of surpassing Adrianne McNally (1,181, 2007-10) for seventh-most in the same era, and she tied USC Upstate's Tee'Ara Copney (199, 2009-13) for 16th-most 3-point field goals made in ASUN history.
 
The Eagles improved to 6-0 all-time against North Alabama.
 
Saturday's performance was the second 25-plus point effort of the season for Jewett-Giles, and it was the third of her career. She also surpassed Wingate with her season-high sixth game with at least 20 points, while pushing her career total to 13.
 
Furthermore, Jewett-Giles now has 1,237 career points, which moves her past Taylor Gradinjan (1,234, 2012-18) for the seventh-most scored in an NCAA career by a player to wear the Green and Blue.
 
Meanwhile, Wingate produced her 60th career game with at least 10 points.

ASUN Roundup
 

Current Standings
Pl.	Team	Overall	ASUN
­­1.	FGCU	18-2	5-0
2.	North Alabama	13-4	4-1
3.	Liberty	10-8	3-2
4.	North Florida	9-8	2-2
T-5	Jacksonville	10-7	2-2
	Kennesaw State	8-7	2-2
7.	Stetson	7-10	1-3
8.	Lipscomb	4-14	1-4
9.	NJIT	3-14	0-4

 
Weekend Schedule
Saturday, Jan. 18
Kennesaw State 77, NJIT 64
Jacksonville 57, Stetson 52
FGCU 74, North Alabama 63
Liberty 64, Lipscomb 60 (OT)
Monday, Jan. 20
Lipscomb at NJIT, 2 p.m.
Kennesaw State at FGCU, 7 p.m.
North Florida at Jacksonville, 7 p.m.
Stetson at North Alabama, 7 p.m.
*All Times Eastern
 
FOLLOW ALONG
For complete coverage of the women's basketball program, follow the Eagles on Twitter and Instagram at @FGCU_WBB, on Facebook at /FGCUWBB and online at www.FGCUathletics.com. You can also sign-up to have news on FGCU women's basketball or other programs delivered directly to your inbox by visiting www.fgcuathletics.com/email.
 
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.
 
E.A.G.L.E. CAMPAIGN
IT TAKES A TEAM to achieve our newest goal - a $10 million campaign to address student-athlete needs in continued academic success, life skills, mental health, nutrition, and strength and conditioning as well as departmental needs in facility expansion and improvement as well as mentoring and leadership training for coaches and staff. The name embodies our mission and the purpose of the E.A.G.L.E. Campaign - Eagle Athletics Generating Lifetime Excellence. Join Our Team and pledge your gift today to help the Eagles of tomorrow!

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, he has also guided the Eagles to 15-straight 20-win seasons.
 
Smesko maintains a record of 542-121 (.817) 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 191-16 (.923) mark in ASUN play. Over the past eight+ seasons, including this year, he has guided FGCU to a 127-4 (.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--