FGCU Women's Basketball Information
Game 33	No. 20/12 seed FGCU (30-2) vs. No. 13/4 seed Maryland (22-8)
Date // Time	Sunday, March 20 // 3:00 p.m.
Location	College Park, Md. // XFINITY Center
Live Statistics	Live Stats
Television // Watch Online	ESPN // ESPN+
Notes	FGCU Notes // ASUN Standings // ASUN Scoreboard // ASUN Stats
Tickets	Order Online // 866-FGCU-TIX
Twitter	@FGCU_WBB
Instagram	@FGCU_WBB
Facebook	FGCU Women's Basketball

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - A trip to the Sweet Sixteen is on the line this Sunday afternoon as the 12th-seed and 20th-ranked FGCU women's basketball team takes on 4th-seeded and 13th-ranked Maryland in the NCAA Tournament Second Round. Tip off is set for 3 PM and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN from the XFINITY Center.

The Eagles won their opening round match-up against 5th-seed/16th-ranked Virginia Tech, 84-81, on Friday night. Host Maryland advanced after a 102-71 win over 13th-seed Delaware. The winner will advance to the Sweet Sixteen in Spokane , Washington next weekend.
 
FGCU (30-2) entered the NCAA Tournament after winning its ninth ASUN Championship Tournament Title with a 69-54 win over Jacksonville State. This has been FGCU's eighth NCAA Tournament appearance over the past 11 years. It is also the Green and Blue's fifth straight trip to the Big Dance not counting the 2020 season thought FGCU was recognized as the ASUN's NCAA Tournament qualifier for that season.

Maryland has reached the NCAA Tournament in each of the last 12 seasons and 29 overall. 
 
FGCU is led by All-American Honorable Mention selection Kierstan Bell who enters the second round averaging 23.2 points per game along with 7.4 rebounds. Tishara Morehouse and Kendall Spray round out the top scorers with 14.9 and 11.0 points per game, respectively.
 
In the win over Virginia Tech, four players scored in double figures led by Bell's 22 points and the Eagles hit 15 three pointers for the win. Tishara Morehouse had 13 points and nine assists, while Karli Seay scored 12 points including a decisive triple with 28 seconds to go that all but sealed the win for the Eagles. Kerstie Phills added 11 points to lead the Green and Blue.

This will be the first time FGCU and Maryland have met. Eagles head coach Karl Smesko spent one year, 1998-99, as an assistant coach on the Terps staff. 

The Eagles moved up to No. 20 in the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll and are No. 23 in the AP Top 25 poll this week. Three weeks ago, FGCU ranked No. 20 in the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll which was tied as FGCU's highest ever ranking in either the Coaches Poll or the AP Top 25 poll alongside the 2014-15 team (ranked No. 20 in the AP Poll).

Sould the Eagles win and advance, they will match the men's basketball team which reached the Sweet 16 in 2012-13. That marked the berth of Dunk City which captured the attention of the nation and put Southwest Florida on the map.

FGCU IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
For the Eagles, this will be their eighth appearance in the NCAA Tournament. FGCU carries a 3-7 record, although they've made a pair of second round appearances. Among five first round exits include two overtime losses, another by two points in regulation, and another by seven points in a game FGCU led early in the fourth quarter.
 

Date	Opponent	Place	Result
3/18/12	St. Bonaventure	Tallahassee, Fla.	L, 65-72 (OT)
3/22/14	Oklahoma State	West Lafayette, Ind.	L, 60-61 (OT)
3/21/15	Oklahoma State	Tallahassee, Fla.	W, 75-67
3/23/15	Florida State	Tallahassee, Fla.	L, 65-47
3/18/17	Miami (Fla.)	Coral Gables, Fla.	L, 60-62
3/17/18	Missouri	Stanford, Calif.	W, 80-70
3/19/18	Stanford	Stanford, Calif.	L, 70-90
3/22/19	Miami (Fla.)	Coral Gables, Fla.	L, 62-69
3/14/21	Michigan	San Antonio, Texas	L, 66-87
3/18/22	Virginia Tech	College Park, Md.	W, 84-81

FGCU enters the NCAA second round with the all-time best NCAA Division I winning percentage (.846). In fact, the Eagles are the only Division I team above .800 as Tennessee sits in second at .799.
 
Win Percentage

#	School	1st Yr.	Yrs.	Record	Pct.
1.	FGCU	2002-03	20	549-100	.846
2.	Tennessee	1902-03	68	1,424-359	.799
3.	UConn	1974-75	48	1,235-311	.799
4.	Stanford	1974-75	48	1,178-345	.773
5.	La. Tech	1974-75	48	1,174-374	.758
6.	Notre Dame	1977-78	45	1,044-369	.739
7.	Green Bay	1973-74	48	1,058-378	.737
8.	Texas	1974-75	48	1,155-425	.731
9.	SFA	1968-69	54	1,155-470	.711
10.	Maryland	1971-72	51	1,077-442	.709

  Over the last eight seasons, FGCU has produced 235 wins which is the most among all mid-majors and fourth-most among any Division I program – behind UConn (265), Baylor (256), South Carolina (240) and Maryland (228). In fact, it puts them ahead of schools such as Louisville (230), Mississippi State (211), Notre Dame (217), Stanford (228), Oregon State (192) and Oregon (192). On top of that, the program is one of only two in the nation at the Division I level with five 30-win seasons during that stretch – FGCU and South Carolina.
  The Eagles have registered a level of sustained success matched by only two other Division I schools as Coach Smesko has guided FGCU to 12 straight 25-win seasons. Baylor and UConn are the only other teams to have 12 straight. FGCU has also recorded 18-straight 20-win seasons dating back to 2004-05.
  The second round tilt will represent the first ever meeting between FGCU and Maryland. All-time, the Eagles are 5-6 against the Big Ten dating back to Dec. 13, 2009. They have produced wins over Indiana, Michigan State, Michigan and Illinois. Furthermore, the Eagles are 21-30 all-time against Power 5 schools.
 

Date	Opponent	Location	Result
12/13/09	@ No. 21/24 Michigan St.	East Lansing, Mich.	L, 71-94
12/21/10	vs Indiana	Fort Myers, Fla.	W, 73-69
11/19/11	vs Michigan St.	Fort Myers, Fla.	W, 59-58
11/29/14	vs Ohio State	U.S. Virgin Islands	L, 83-90 (2 OT)
#03/31/16	vs Michigan	Fort Myers, Fla.	W, 71-62
11/25/16	vs No. 8/8 Ohio State	Estero, Fla.	L, 66-79
12/17/16	@ Illinois	Champaign, Ill.	L, 73-82
11/12/17	vs Illinois	Fort Myers, Fla.	W, 85-61
11/24/17	vs No. 9/8 Ohio State	Las Vegas, Nev.	L, 62-104
3/21/21	vs. No. 16/14 Michigan	San Antonio, Texas	L, 66-87
12/20/21	vs. Michigan State	West Palm Beach, Fla.	W, 85-84 (2OT)

  FGCU women's basketball head coach Karl Smesko, who holds a 610-127 record in 23 seasons as a head coach, reached 600 career victories (726) faster than legendary coaches such as Pat Summitt (734 games), Tara VanDerveer (767 games) and C. Vivian Stringer (785 games). Smesko's accomplishment rank as the 9th fastest coaches to reach 600 - among all divisions – and he's now on pace to be the third-fastest coach in NCAA history to reach 700 wins.
 
The 12-time ASUN Coach of the Year picked up his 600th win milestone on Feb. 3, 2022 with a 71-44 win at Central Arkansas. He ranks 19th among all active NCAA Division I coaches in terms of wins and holds the fifth-best all-time win percentage for a Division I head coach (.826) and sits just behind Summitt (.841) who is fourth and Mulkey (.859) who is third. Auriemma holds the all-time record by percentage (.886).
  Kendall Spray, who is 98-for-218 (.450) from 3-point range this year and 461-for-1,161 (.397) in her NCAA career, is chasing history along with Maryland's Katie Benzan as the duo climbs the list of the all-time best 3-point shooters in women's college basketball history. Entering this season, only eight players had recorded 400+ 3-pointers in a career. Spray currently ranks fourth all-time, while Benzan ranks fifth. The duo comprises the top two spots for active NCAA players in 3-pointers made. The NCAA record for most in a career was set by Ohio State's Kelsey Mitchell with 497.
 
Top 10 - NCAA Career 3-Point Field Goals Made

Name	School	Years	Gms	3's
Kelsey Mitchell	Ohio St.	2015-18	139	*497
Taylor Pierce	Idaho	2016-19	135	472
Jess Kovatch	Saint Francis (Pa.)	2016-19	130	472
Kendall Spray	FGCU	2016-present	153	461
Katie Benzan	Maryland	2016-Present	144	452
Darby Maggard	Belmont	2016-19	134	430
Mikayla Ferenz	Idaho	2016-19	135	415
Rachael Childress	UAB	2017-20	128	415
Katelynn Flaherty	Michigan	2015-18	140	410
Presley Hudson	Central Mich.	2016-19	133	407

  After being named the ASUN Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, FGCU's Kierstan Bell was selected as an Honorable Mention All-American by both the Associated Press and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association this week.
 
Bell At A Glance: Despite missing nine games due to knee surgery, her total points on the year (533) are more than any other player in the ASUN this season ... Her scoring average of 23.2 points per game which would lead the ASUN and rank 4th nationally (doesn't meet 75% threshold due to injury) ... Came back from the surgery in FGCU's final two games of the season (win at Liberty, win over Jacksonville) to average 23.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 blocks, 3.0 assists, and 2.5 steals in 30.4 minutes of play ... In the two wins over Liberty during the season, averaged 24 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.0 steals ... Scored 32 points and added 10 rebounds in win at LSU (currently No. 8 in the AP Poll and only loss in non-conference play) ... Had five 30-plus games overall on the season highlighted by a career-high 39 (17-of-31 FG) against Tennessee Tech which were the second-most points for a game in FGCU history ... Scored 28 points in double OT win over Michigan State ... Had six double-doubles on the year and holds the FGCU record with 22 ... Set the FGCU record for double-doubles with 24 for her career ... Also set the ASUN and FGCU record for most career ASUN Player of the Week honors (12) after earning the accolade four times this season before the surgery and once after ... Reached both the 1,000 point career milestone this year (including her year at Ohio State) along with scoring 1,000 points in her two years at FGCU ... Was named the ASUN Preseason Player of the Year and a unanimous pick to the All-ASUN Preseason Team ... Current candidate for several national prestigious awards: The Wooden Award, the Naismith Player of the Year Award, Ann Meyers-Drysdale Award (Top 5), the Becky Hammon Player of the Year Award (Top 5), and The Wade Award ... Projected to be a top-10 pick in the WNBA Draft.
 
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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 609-127 (.826) overall in his career, which is the third-highest winning percentage among active Division I coaches behind only UConn's Geno Auriemma and LSU's Kim Mulkey. He has also led the Eagles to a 232-18 (.930) mark in ASUN regular season play and a 30-2 (.933) record in ASUN tournament play. Over the previous 10 seasons, he has guided FGCU to a 153-5 (.968) record in conference play with six undefeated seasons. The 12-time ASUN Coach of the Year has led the program to 12-straight 25-win seasons and 18-consecutive 20-win campaigns, including 30-plus wins in four of the past seven years. On top of all that, the Eagles are 548-100 (.845) all-time since Smesko started the program in the 2002-03 season, and the Green and Blue's .845 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/adminservices/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.
 
ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 90 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 14+ seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just 10 seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 44 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. 20, 2021-22), beach volleyball (No. 20, 2022) 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 25 consecutive semesters. The past five semesters (Fall 2019 – Fall 2021) each saw another milestone reached as all 15 programs achieved a 3.0-or-higher team GPA in each. 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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