1985–86 Western Kentucky Lady Toppers basketball team

Intercollegiate basketball season March 2026 August 2023 Women's Basketball 1985–86 Western Kentucky Lady Toppers WKU Hilltoppers wordmark.png 150 Sun Belt Conference SBC 3 5 32–4 6–0 Paul Sanderford 4th E. A. Diddle Arena NCAA East Regional ChampionSBC Tournament ChampionSun Belt Conference ChampionCommuniplex Classic ChampionBud Light Shootout Champion NCAA Tournament Final Four The 1985–86 WKU Lady Toppers basketball team represented Western Kentucky University during the 1985–86 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Lady Toppers were led by head coach Paul Sanderford and Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year Lillie Mason.2019-20 Sun Belt Conference Women’s Basketball Record Book, retrieved May 21, 2020 They won the SBC season and tournament championships and received a bid to the 1986 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament, where they advanced to the Final Four.Sanderford elected to Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame, By the Daily News May 6, 2015, retrieved May 21, 2020 This team set a school record for wins and had three players named to All-American teams, Mason, Clemette Haskins, and Kami Thomas. Thomas and Haskins joined Mason on the All-Conference team; Mason was the SBC Tournament Most Outstanding Player (MOP) and Haskins made the All-Tournament team. Haskins was selected to the NCAA Final Four team and Mason was NCAA East Region MOP with Thomas joining her on the All-Region team.2019-20 Lady Topper Basketball Media Guide, retrieved May 21, 2020 Schedule Western Kentucky Sports Women's Basketball Archive, retrieved May 21, 2020 no yes 1985-86 NCAA Division I women's basketball rankings 1985 no no no |- !colspan=12 style=Western Kentucky Lady Toppers|Regular season 11/22/1985 yes yes 6 Texas Tech 20* Lubbock Municipal Coliseum Lubbock, TX 88–71 1–0 |- 11/25/1985 yes 6 South Alabama E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY Bowling Green Bank Invitational 86–55 2–0 11/26/1985 yes 6 Oklahoma 23* E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY Bowling Green Bank Invitational 81–89 2–1 12/2/1985 yes 9 Iowa 15 E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY 77–67 3–1 12/6/1985 yes yes 8 Southern Illinois Banterra Center Carbondale, IL 92–60 4–1 12/9/1985 yes 9 Middle Tennessee E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY 103–78 5–1 12/14/1985 yes yes 9 Morehead State Ellis Johnson Arena Morehead, KY 85–66 6–1 12/21/1985 yes yes 9 Evansville Roberts Municipal Stadium Evansville, IN 96–66 7–1 12/28/1985 yes yes 9 Xavier Riverfront Coliseum Cincinnati, OH Communiplex Classic 122–43 8–1 12/29/1985 yes yes 9 Cincinnati Riverfront Coliseum Cincinnati, OH Communiplex Classic 87–43 9–1 1/3/1986 yes yes 9 Kansas State Thomas & Mack Center Las Vegas, NV Bud Light Shootout 95–69 10–1 1/4/1986 yes yes 9 California Thomas & Mack Center Las Vegas, NV Bud Light Shootout 81–59 11–1 1/7/1986 yes 7 West Virginia E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY 95–49 12–1 1/10/1986 yes 7 Dayton E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY 104–75 13–1 1/12/1986 6 South Florida E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY 94–48 14–1 1–0 1/14/1986 6 Memphis State E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY 95–71 15–1 1/16/1986 yes yes 6 Louisville Freedom Hall Louisville, KY 98–55 16–1 1/22/1986 6 UNC Charlotte E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY 85–51 17–1 2–0 1/27/1986 yes 6 Alabama–Huntsville E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY 108–55 18–1 1/30/1986 yes 6 Tennessee Tech Eblen Center Cookeville, TN 83–79 19–1 2/4/1986 yes 5 Murray State E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY 93–69 20–1 2/7/1986 yes 5 Cheyney State E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY 101–52 21–1 2/10/1986 yes yes 4 Georgia 2 Stegeman Coliseum Athens, GA 61–93 21–2 2/15/1986 yes 4 UAB BJCC Coliseum Birmingham, AL 83–63 22–2 3–0 2/17/1986 yes 6 South Alabama Jag Gym Mobile, AL 72–66 23–2 4–0 2/23/1986 5 Old Dominion E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY 74–64 24–2 5–0 2/24/1986 5 VCU E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY 101–51 25–2 6–0 2/28/1986 yes yes 5 Alaska Anchorage Anchorage, AK Northern Lights Invitational 98–78 26–2 3/1/1986 yes yes 5 Louisiana–Monroe 16* Anchorage, AK Northern Lights Invitational 84–88 26–3 3/2/1986 yes yes 5 SMU Anchorage, AK Northern Lights Invitational 76–66 27–3 |- !colspan=12 style=Western Kentucky Lady Toppers| Sun Belt tournament 3/7/1986 5 1 UAB 4 E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY Semifinals 80–53 28–3 3/8/1986 5 1 Old Dominion 2 E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY Championship 69–61 29–3 |- !colspan=12 style=Western Kentucky Lady Toppers| NCAA tournament 3/16/1986 yes 5 E4 Saint Joseph's (PA) 24* E5 E. A. Diddle Arena Bowling Green, KY East Region Second Round 74–65 30–3 3/20/1986 yes yes 5 E4 James Madison 17 E8 Palestra Philadelphia, PA Sweet Sixteen 72–51 31–3 3/22/1986 yes yes 5 E4 Rutgers 10 E2 Palestra Philadelphia, PA Elite Eight 89–74 32–3 3/28/1986 yes yes 5 E4 Texas 1 MW1 Rupp Arena Lexington, KY Final Four 65–90 32–4 AP Poll. * USA Today rankings References Category:Western Kentucky Lady Toppers basketball seasons Western Kentucky Western Kentucky Category:NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament Final Four seasons WKU Lady Toppers basketball team WKU Lady Toppers basketball team Category:Long stubs with short prose