Lehighsports.com

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Mountain Hawks women’s basketball team is in even more exclusive company than the 64-team NCAA Tournament field. Lehigh joins a list of 14 teams in the women’s tournament that can boast perfect graduation rates, according to a report released Monday by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida and reported by the Associated Press.

Joining Lehigh on the list are top-seeded teams Connecticut and Maryland, as well as DePaul, Evansville, Florida, Marist, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Sacred Heart, Stanford, Tennessee, Texas, Vanderbilt and Villanova.

Graduation rates are reported based on whether or not freshman entering the school between 1998-99 and 2001-02 graduate within six years.

The Lehigh women's basketball team earned a 3.315 GPA in the fall semester, with four players earning Dean's List distinction. Junior guard Kristen Dalton led the way with a perfect 4.0 GPA.

No. 15 seed Lehigh will face No. 2 seed Auburn in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday at 12:16 p.m. The Mountain Hawks will be making just their second appearance ever in the tournament.