ATLANTA - FGCU women's basketball sophomore Kierstan Bell has been selected as the ASUN's co-newcomer of the week by the conference office.
 
Bell (Alliance, Ohio/Canton McKinley HS/Ohio State) averaged 26.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, four blocks and 1.5 steals in a pair of wins over Webber International and Florida International. Against Webber, she had a career-high 32 points along with 12 rebounds, two blocks and two assists in just 20 minutes. She concluded the week with 21 points, 11 rebounds, six blocks and a steal in 26 minutes against FIU.
 
"Kierstan had another outstanding week," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "She scores in a variety of ways, rebounds and blocks shots. She has had an exceptional start to the season."
 
It was the second consecutive newcomer of the week award for Bell, who is now averaging 23 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.3 blocks, 2.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game for FGCU (7-2). In six games for the Eagles this year, she has five double-doubles, notched 20 or more points in five games and is shooting .576 from the field, as well as .419 from 3-point range. Furthermore, she currently leads the conference in scoring, rebounding, made field goals per game and blocks.
 
Liberty's Emily Lytle, who led her team to a road win over High Point with 25 points, seven rebounds and two assists, was named the ASUN player of the week, while Kennesaw State's Jah'Che Whitfield shared newcomer honors with Bell after averaging 17 points, 11.5 rebounds, two steals and 1.5 assists in a pair of wins for her team to open the season. Sakiya White of North Alabama was named the freshman of the week.
 
FGCU will be back in action Saturday (Jan. 2) and Sunday (Jan. 3) at North Alabama as the Eagles open conference play with a doubleheader. Both games will start at 3 p.m. and be aired live on ESPN+ from Florence, Ala.

2020 ASUN Weekly Awards
Dec. 21 | Player: Emily Lytle (Liberty); Newcomer: Kierstan Bell (FGCU) & Jah'Che Whitfield (Kennesaw State); Freshman: Sakyia White (North Alabama)
Dec. 14 | Player: Kierstan Bell (FGCU); Newcomer: Kierstan Bell (FGCU); Freshman: Khalela Hayes (Jacksonville)
Dec. 7 | Player: Rhetta Moore (North Florida); Newcomer: Tishara Morehouse (FGCU); Freshman: Khalela Hayes (Jacksonville)
Nov. 30 | Player: Tishara Morehouse (FGCU); Newcomer: Tishara Morehouse (FGCU); Freshman: Macey Lee (North Alabama)
 
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.
 
SUSTAINING FLIGHT 
To help offset the financial impact of COVID-19, FGCU Athletics has launched the Sustaining Flight Fundraiser and Auction. The fundraising campaign will help mitigate operational revenue loss and the additional expenses incurred as a result of COVID-19 protocols. All funds raised during the campaign will go to support areas that directly impact student-athletes.For more information, visit www.fgcuathletics.com/sustainingflight. 
 
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 maintains a record of 560-124 (.819) overall in his career (third highest winning percentage among active Division I coaches behind only UConn's Geno Auriemma and Baylor's Kim Mulkey), including a 201-17 (.922) mark in ASUN regular season play and a 24-2 (.923) record in ASUN tournament play. Over the past nine seasons, including this year, he has guided FGCU to a 137-5 (.975) record in conference play with five undefeated seasons. The 10-time ASUN Coach of the Year has guided the Green and Blue to four 30-plus win seasons over the past six years while compiling a 179-31 (.852) record. He has also guided the program to 16 consecutive 20-win seasons and 10-straight 25-win seasons.
 
#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 82 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 13 seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just nine seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 38 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Seven FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport – including women's basketball (No. 24, 2019-20) and both men's soccer (2018, 2019) and women's soccer (2018) as three of the most recent. 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 3.46 GPA in the classroom in the spring 2020 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for 22 consecutive semesters. The 2019 Fall and 2020 Spring semesters each saw another milestone reached as all 15 programs achieved a 3.0-or-higher team GPA. 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--