ATLANTA, Ga. - The Saginaw Valley State University women's basketball team earned a great honor by being ranked inside the top-10 of the Women's Basketball Coaches' Association (WBCA) Academic Top 25 for Division II for the 2013-14 season.
The Lady Cardinals landed in the 8th spot nationally on the list after posting a 3.61 team GPA for the past season. It adds another honor for a program on the uprise both on the court and in the classroom.
The Cards posted a 14-12 record in GLIAC "Coach of the Year" Jamie Pewinski's third season at the helm in 2013-14. The last winning season for SVSU was in the 2003-04 season (16-12). The 3.61 GPA is a vast improvement as well from where the team stood at a 2.66 when Pewinski took over the program.
During the 2013-14 season, SVSU finished-off its second consecutive season qualifying for the GLIAC Tournament for the first time since the 1997-98 and 1998-99 seasons. The 14 wins were the most for the program since the 2003-04 season. Of those 14 victories, 12 were GLIAC wins, the most since the 1998-99 season. The team finished .500 or better in back-to-back years for the first time since the 1997-98 and 1998-99 seasons as well. The team set records for three-point percentage (39.1%), which led the league and was third in the nation, and free throw percentage (77.1%), which was second in the GLIAC and 11th nationally.
"Reaching our goal of making the Top 25 nationally shows the focus and dedication of every player on our team," said Pewinski. "It's a great accomplishment and proves that academics is our #1 priority! It's the perfect ending to a great season and I could not be any prouder of this team!"
The WBCA Academic Top 25 annually recognizes NCAA Division I, II and III; NAIA; and junior/community college women's basketball teams across the nation that carry the highest combined grade point average (GPA) inclusive of all student-athletes on their rosters for the entire season. The 2013-14 season is the 19th in which the WBCA has compiled the honor rolls.