Friday, August 27, 2004

For the sixth straight season Valparaiso University's women's basketball team has been ranked in the top-25 among the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Academic Honor Roll. The Crusaders ranked sixth in the country in team grade point average for the 2003-2004 school year, marking the third straight season the Crusaders have been ranked in the top-ten.

Head coach Keith Freeman's squad tallied a 3.397 team grade point average last season, and also made the school's second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance after winning the Mid-Continent Conference Tournament title.

?Our three straight years of postseason play show our excellence on the floor and this award of finishing sixth in the nation in team GPA shows the off the court excellence of our players as well," Freeman said. ?I'm proud of what our student-athletes have been able to accomplish in both areas."

Eastern Washington was number one in the honor roll with a team GPA of 3.626.

Valpo has finished 9th (2002-2003), 5th (2001-2002), 25th (2000-2001), 11th (1999-2000), and 14th (1998-1999) over the past six seasons.

WBCA Honor Roll (Top Ten)
School - GPA
1. Eastern Washington - 3.626
2. Indiana State - 3.577
3. Iowa State - 3.480
4. Fairleigh Dickinson - 3.475
5. Northern Arizona - 3.436
6. Valparaiso - 3.397
7. Villanova - 3.353
8. Morehead State - 3.349
9. Binghamton - 3.336
10. Vermont - 3.330