ATLANTA - Kierstan Bell is having the type of season that hasn't been seen in the ASUN in nearly 30 years, and it continued on Monday as she was named the conference's player and newcomer of the week. It was her third consecutive player of the week selection and her fifth straight newcomer award.

The sophomore forward was dominant once again over the weekend, averaging 27.5 points, 11 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.5 steals and 2.5 blocks in a pair of wins over Kennesaw State as she helped No. 27 FGCU extend its winning streak to 16 straight overall. She opened the weekend with a game-high 30 points on 14-for-20 shooting in just 25 minutes and concluded it with 25 points and 15 rebounds on 11-for-22 shooting. Her rebound total in the finale is the second most she's had in a game this year behind a 20-rebound performance in her season debut.  
 
"Kierstan had another great weekend," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "She is such a versatile scoring threat, and she has done a great job on the boards."
 
Bell (Alliance, Ohio/Canton McKinley HS/Ohio State) now has five player of the week selections this year, which breaks Whitney Knight's single-season program record and matches Belmont's Alysha Clark (5 in 2005-06 and 5 in 2006-07) for the ASUN's single-season record. The eighth newcomer selection extends her own conference record she broke last week. In terms of program history, Bell's fifth player of the week selection ties her with Sarah Hansen for the third-most in a career in FGCU history behind Whitney Knight (7) and Keri Jewett-Giles (6).
 
The Buckeye State native is now averaging 23.5 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.6 steals per game over 16 contests this year. Bell's scoring average is on pace to be the seventh-best in a single season in conference history and the best since Albena Branzova of FIU averaged 24.1 per contest in 1992-93. In fact, only two players have averaged over 20 points per game in the ASUN over the past 15 seasons - Stetson's Nefertiti Walker (21.5 in 2005-06) and Belmont's Alysha Clark (20.0 in 2005-06). On top of that, her 3.19 3-point field goals made per game is on pace to break the conference's single season record currently held by Belmont's Jenny Conkle (3.11, 2004-05).
 
Bell's scoring average also places her 10th in the country in scoring. On Sunday, she produced her 12th double-double of the season, which is tied for fifth-most in the nation. The Eagles are now 16-0 since she joined the lineup following approval of a transfer waiver, and she will look to help the team extend the nation's longest road winning streak (19) when FGCU travels to Jacksonville this weekend for a two-game series.
 
Bell has now scored 376 points this year through 16 games, which is 50 more than her point total from all of last year at Ohio State, which happened over 30 games. While eclipsing the 700 career point milestone on Sunday, she also notched her eighth-straight and 13th game overall with at least 20 points on the season, and she has produced eight such performances in conference play.
  
Bell's play has led FGCU to a 16-game winning streak, which is tied for the seventh longest in the program's Division I era with last year's team. It is also the fourth-longest streak in the nation among active teams behind California Baptist (21), Bucknell (17) and Gonzaga (17). The Eagles have also won 19 straight road games dating back to a win over Houston last year, which is the longest in the nation. Furthermore, the Green and Blue have won 26 straight on the road against ASUN teams.
 
FGCU (17-2, 10-0 ASUN) will be back in action this weekend when the Eagles travel to face Jacksonville University on Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. each day. Both games will be aired on ESPN+.
 
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.
 
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 571-124 (.821) 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 211-17 (.924) mark in ASUN regular season play and a 24-2 (.923) record in ASUN tournament play. Over the past nine-plus seasons, including this year, he has guided FGCU to a 147-5 (.966) 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. 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--