WKU to Honor 1991-92 National Runner-Up Team on Saturday

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — WKU women’s basketball will recognize the 1991-92 National Runner-Up team on Saturday for its induction into the inaugural class of WKU Athletics Hall of Fame teams. The team will be recognized during halftime of WKU’s game against FIU.

In 2020, the WKU Alumni W-Club expanded the Athletic Hall of Fame to include great teams, not just individuals. Sixteen athletics teams make up the multi-year inaugural class of teams, including the 1992 women’s basketball team.

The 1991-92 team won the Mideast regional in the NCAA tournament, defeating Alabama, Tennessee and Maryland along the way, going on to top Missouri State in the Final Four to advance to the championship game against Stanford. WKU also won the Sun Belt tournament that season and were the regular season co-champions, going 27-4 on the season.

Kim Pehlke earned NCAA Regional Most Outstanding Player and Sun Belt Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors that season along with All-Regional team, All-Conference first team and Sun Belt All-Tournament Team.

Paulette Monroe and Debbie Scott were also named to the NCAA All-Regional team. Monroe was also an All-Conference first teamer and Renee Westmoreland earned Sun Belt All-Tournament team honors.

The team was coached by the legendary Paul Sanderford. The 1992 team was the third WKU squad Sanderford led to a Final Four. Sanderford is the all-time winningest Lady Topper coach, collecting 365 wins during his time on The Hill.

Student-athletes on the 1992 team included Jennifer Berryman, LaTonia Bland, Ida Bowen, Veronica Cook, Debbie Houck, Kristie Jordan, Liesa Lang, Stephanie Minor, Paulette Monroe, Kim Pehlke, Lea Robinson, Debbie Scott, Kim Warfield, Renee Westmoreland, and Trina Wilson.

Sanderford’s coaching staff was made up of assistant coaches Cristy McKinney and Steve Small and graduate assistant David Graves.

As part of the celebration, WKU will be giving away retro “shirseys” to the first 500 fans. The shirsey was designed to look like the Lady Toppers’ jerseys from the 1992 season and include Pehlke’s No. 21.