HOPEWELL, N.J. ---
Kierstan Bell, a sophomore forward on the FGCU women's basketball team, has been named the 2020-21 recipient of the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year award, presented by Her Hoop Stats.
The award, which recognizes the best mid-major player in the nation, was first given to South Dakota's Ciara Duffy following the 2019-20 season. After a year with no winner last year due to Covid, Bell was selected as this season's recipient over Cincinnati's Ilmar'I Thomas, Maine's Blanca Millan, South Dakota's Hannah Sjerven and South Dakota State's Myah Selland.
"Kierstan had an amazing season for us," FGCU head coach
Karl Smesko said. "She was one of the most efficient players in the nation and her versatility is remarkable. She's one of the best 3-point shooters, she can attack the rim off the dribble, and she's one of the best off the ball cutters in the country. She also impacts the game on the defensive end. She's an elite athlete with an elite basketball IQ. She is more than deserving of this award in a year where there were so many great women's mid-major basketball players."
Most recently named an Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American and a regional finalist for the WBCA All-American team, Bell had one of the best seasons of any player in the country by averaging 24.3 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.9 steals per game. She became the first player in ASUN history to be tabbed both the conference's player and newcomer of the year, earned a spot on the Wade Trophy Midseason Watch List and landed on the NCAA.com Starting Five twice. Along the way, she was a six-time ASUN player of the week and a conference-record 10-time ASUN newcomer of the week. On top of that, she compiled 16 double-doubles this year, which not only shattered the program's single-season record but ranks third among all Eagles in a career.
Bell (Alliance, Ohio/Canton McKinley HS/Ohio State), who also earned tournament MVP honors while leading the Eagles to the ASUN tournament championship, finished the season as the nation's fourth-leading scorer. In fact, her 24.3 points per contest is the sixth best average in the ASUN's 36-year history. Her 81 3-point field goals made is tied for seventh-most in program history, which also ties her for 12th-most in a single season in ASUN history. In fact, she made 3.11 3-point field goals per game, which is tied for the highest average in conference history.
Behind Bell's play, FGCU finished 26-3 overall in 2020-21, which included a 16-0 conference record en route to regular season and tournament championships. The team won every regular season and tournament game against conference teams by double-digits. Once her transfer waiver was approved three games into the season, the Eagles reeled off 25 consecutive victories before falling to No. 14/16 Michigan in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, where Bell scored a team-high 25 points. It was just one shy of matching the longest streak in the program's Division I era.
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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 580-125 (.823) overall in his career, which is the third-highest winning percentage among active Division I coaches behind only UConn's Geno Auriemma and Baylor's Kim Mulkey. He has also led the Eagles to a 217-17 (.927) mark in ASUN regular season play and a 27-2 (.931) record in ASUN tournament play. Over the past 10 seasons, he has guided FGCU to a 153-5 (.968) record in conference play with six undefeated seasons. The 11-time ASUN Coach of the Year has led the program to 11-straight 25-win seasons and 17-consecutive 20-win campaigns, including 30-plus wins in four of the past seven years. On top of all that, the Eagles are 519-98 all-time since Smesko started the program in the 2002-03 season, and the Green and Blue's .841 all-time winning percentage is the best in NCAA Division I women's basketball history.
#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 85 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 40 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Eight FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport - including women's basketball (No. 21, 2020-21), beach volleyball (No. 20, 2021) 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 3.50 GPA in the classroom in the fall 2020 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for 23 consecutive semesters. The 2019 Fall, 2020 Spring, and 2020 Fall 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.
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