Senior Tytionia Adderly produced a season-high 16 points and a game-high 14 rebounds as the FGCU women's basketball team (6-1) stunned defending national runner-up Notre Dame (4-3) 69-60 in the opener of the Cancun Challenge on Thursday afternoon in the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya.
The Eagles will now face No. 20 USF at 1:30 p.m. on Friday.
"That was one of the best games that Ty has ever played," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "She was fantastic - rebounding, defending and looking to score a lot more. It was just a great performance."
Notre Dame had not lost to a mid-major since DePaul handed them a 70-69 loss on Feb. 28, 2011 and likely their biggest upset loss since Northwestern State defeated them on March 24, 1995 in the WNIT. It was the second win of the season for FGCU over a reigning NCAA Tournament participant (UCF) and the program's 17th all-time against a Power 5 school, including its sixth over an ACC team.
redshirt senior Davion Wingate (19), Adderly (16), redshirt senior Keri Jewett-Giles (12) and senior Nasrin Ulel (11) all scored in double-figures for the Eagles, while 11 of Adderly's 14 rebounds came on the offensive glass. Jewett-Giles led all players with five assists and added four steals, while junior Alyssa Blair also had four steals in her third consecutive start.
Over the game's first few minutes, FGCU struggled to find its shot as the Eagles opened 1-for-11 from the field, which allowed Notre Dame to open up a 9-2 lead. A 3-pointer from Ulel ended the drought, however, and grad student Ashli O'Neal scored five straight off the bench as FGCU went on a 16-0 run over a six-and-a-half-minute stretch that lasted into the second quarter.
The Green and Blue never trailed again, but it wasn't easy. Notre Dame trimmed the deficit to one with 5:24 left in the first half, but Wingate hit back-to-back 3-pointers, and FGCU eventually took a nine-point lead into the break following another 3-pointer from O'Neal, who finished with eight points.
Both teams then combined for 49 points in the third quarter, although FGCU withstood Notre Dame's surge behind two key baskets from Jewett-Giles, who made a layup and a 3-pointer after the Fighting Irish trimmed their deficit to three on a pair of occasions with under three minutes left in the frame.
Redshirt sophomore Tyra Cox then subbed in late in the quarter and banked in a 3-pointer from the right wing to give FGCU a 10-point lead through three. In that crucial quarter, both teams combined to shoot 19-for-30, but FGCU turned it over just once compared to four times for Notre Dame and outscored the Fighting Irish 16-6 in the paint and 5-2 off turnovers.
Following the 3-pointer from Cox, the Eagles concluded a 13-2 run with a straightaway 3-pointer from Ulel with 6:56 left to push the margin to 63-47, their largest of the game.
Notre Dame, however, responded with a 10-0 run as the Green and Blue committed four of its 10 total turnovers over the next four minutes. Wingate answered with back-to-back layups, with the second one on a beautiful pump fake and finish. Adderly then sealed the game from the foul line in the final minute.
"You have to give (Notre Dame) a lot of credit," Smesko said. "They didn't quit and really started attacking us. They were able to score quickly and get back in the game. We did a good job taking care of the ball until the end of the game and then we kind of fumbled it a couple times, which really hurt us. Fortunately, we made plays down the stretch and were able to pull out a very good victory."
Despite the size differential, FGCU outscored Notre Dame 34-26 in the paint and 13-2 in second chance points. They also held a 20-9 advantage in points off turnovers.
Notes:
Adderly fell just one shy of matching her season-high rebound total while tallying double-digits for the fourth time in five games.
With her first of the back-to-back 3-pointers in the second quarter, Wingate joined Jewett-Giles as a member of the 1,000 point club. She now has 1,015 in her NCAA career. Ulel is eight points away from joining the duo.
Thursday's game was the first time Smesko and Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw faced each other. Smesko (3rd, .815) and McGraw (5th, .770) both ranked among the top five winningest active women's basketball coaches in Division I history. Each of them has led their programs to nine-straight 25-win seasons, two of only four teams to do that along with UConn and Baylor.
South Dakota State knocked off No. 20 USF 61-50 in the other game on Thursday.
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