Sarah Culver
Sarah Culver (Kresge) was not recruited to play basketball at PBU. In fact, when Culver stepped into head coach Drew Watson’s office in the fall of 1999, the native of Grand Rapids, MI had no intentions of even trying out for the team.
But following a persuasive speech from Watson highlighting several reasons why she should give intercollegiate basketball a chance, Culver decided to see how she might stack up against her fellow peers during tryouts. What both parties soon discovered was that not only did Culver measure up, she stood out.
Four years and over fifteen hundred points later, Culver wrapped up an illustrious career by being becoming - at that time - the second leading scorer in the program’s all-time history (with 1,538 career points, Culver currently sits third on the list) while generating NCCAA II All American status during her junior and senior seasons.
But despite all of her positive attributes as a player, Culver did have one major flaw on the basketball court:
She refused to shoot.
“Sarah had the sweetest jump shot,” Watson, who served as Culver’s induction speaker, gushed. “But the only problem was that in my 11 years of coaching, she was the only person that I’ve ever had to beg to shoot the basketball.”
An unselfish pass-first guard, Culver was hesitant during some of her early years to be the assertive scoring force Watson hoped for. Instead, she often was most comfortable getting her teammates involved and making the extra pass, traits that stuck with Culver throughout her career - even as she began to blossom into more of the scoring force her coach was looking for during her later years.
Recognized by all who know her as a fierce competitor, Culver won 73 games throughout her four years with the team, helping the Crimson Eagles post a .658 winning percentage during her career. She also helped lead the basketball team to in the 2001-02 NCCAA National Championship game, a historic year during which the squad equated the greatest number of single-season wins in program history with 23.
“Sarah is one of the most genuine and grounded people I have ever coached,” Watson proclaimed during the induction ceremony. “She was a competitor during her time at PBU and most importantly, she has a heart for God.”
Culver becomes the 17th women’s basketball player or coach to be inducted into the Hall of Honor.
