1997 NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament

1997 NCAA Division III
women's basketball tournament
Teams64
Finals siteColes Sports Center
New York (state) New York, New York
ChampionsNYU Violets (1st[1][2] title)
Runner-upWisconsin–Eau Claire Blugolds (2nd title game)
Third placeCapital Crusaders (5th Final Four)
Fourth placeScranton Royals (4th Final Four)
Winning coachJanice Quinn (1st title)
MOPMarsha Harris (NYU)
Attendance50,604
NCAA Division III women's tournaments
«1996 1998»

The 1997 NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament was the 16th annual tournament hosted by the NCAA to determine the national champion of Division III women's collegiate basketball in the United States.[3]

NYU Violets defeated Wisconsin–Eau Claire Blugolds in the championship game, 72–70, to claim the Violets' first Division III national title. Marsha Harris went coast-to-coast and made a game winning layup with 1.5 seconds remaining in the game to seal the victory.[4][5]

The championship rounds were hosted by New York University at the Coles Sports Center in New York City from March 21–22, 1994.

Bracket

  • An asterisk by a team indicates the host of first and second round games
  • An asterisk by a score indicates an overtime period

East sectional

Play-in round
March 5, 1997
Campus sites 		Second round
March 8, 1997
Campus sites 		Sectional semifinals
March 14, 1997
New York, NY 		Sectional finals
March 15, 1997
New York, NY
        
NYU* 66
Nazareth 50
NYU* 75
East Region
St. John Fisher 46
St. John Fisher 75
Hartwick* 62**
NYU 84
St. John Fisher 74
Rowan* 77
Frostburg State 47
Rowan* 58
Atlantic Region
William Paterson 60
Gallaudet 69
William Paterson* 81
NYU 75
William Smith 53
Binghamton* 73
Ithaca 66
Ithaca 57
East Region
William Smith* 81
Geneseo State 62
William Smith* 84
William Smith 80
Marymount (VA) 75
Colby–Sawyer* 71
TCNJ 80
TCNJ 52
Atlantic Region
Marymount (VA) 64*
Staten Island 58
Marymount (VA)* 79

Mid-Atlantic sectional

Play-in round
March 5, 1997
Campus sites 		Second round
March 8, 1997
Campus sites 		Sectional semifinals
March 14, 1997
Scranton, PA 		Sectional finals
March 15, 1997
Scranton, PA
        
Clark (MA)* 81
Emmanuel (MA) 88
Emmanuel 52
Northeast Region
Western Connecticut* 76
Western Connecticut* 86
Bates 65
Western Connecticut 66
Johns Hopkins 76
Elizabethtown* 69
Allentown 61
Elizabethtown* 57
Mid-Atlantic Region
Johns Hopkins 64
Cabrini 45
Johns Hopkins* 66
Johns Hopkins 54
Scranton 65
Salem State* 66
Williams 80
Williams 61
Northeast Region
Southern Maine* 68
Trinity (CT) 51
Southern Maine* 53
Southern Maine 61
Scranton 70
Alvernia* 63
Lycoming 45
Alvernia 63
Mid-Atlantic Region
Scranton 66*
Muhlenberg 54
Scranton* 83

Great Lakes sectional

Play-in round
March 5, 1997
Campus sites 		Second round
March 8, 1997
Campus sites 		Sectional semifinals
March 14, 1997
Defiance, OH 		Sectional finals
March 15, 1997
Defiance, OH
        
Defiance* 92
Hanover 51
Defiance* 85
Great Lakes Region
Alma 72
Kenyon 59
Alma* 66
Defiance 90
Buena Vista 80
Buena Vista* 88*
Bethel (MN) 77
Buena Vista* 80
West Region
UC San Diego 77
Pomona-Pitzer 50
UC San Diego* 74
Defiance 62
Capital 79
Baldwin Wallace* 55
Calvin 58
Calvin 44
Great Lakes Region
Capital* 66
Bethany (WV) 46
Capital* 80
Capital 70
St. Thomas (MN) 64
St. Benedict* 97
Chapman 59
St. Benedict 67
West Region
St. Thomas (MN)* 95
Luther 47
St. Thomas (MN)* 89

Central sectional

Play-in round
March 5, 1997
Campus sites 		Second round
March 8, 1997
Campus sites 		Sectional semifinals
March 14, 1997
Decatur, IL 		Sectional finals
March 15, 1997
Decatur, IL
        
Millikin* 61
Washington St. Louis 53
Millikin* 81
Central Region
Wisconsin–Stout 77
Wheaton (IL) 60
Wisconsin–Stout* 65
Millikin 51
Emory 43
Emory* 70
Greensboro 51
Emory* 40
South Region
Hendrix 36
SCAD 54
Hendrix* 76
Millikin 63
Wisconsin–Eau Claire 67
Wisconsin–Oshkosh* 89
Blackburn 52
Wisconsin–Oshkosh 56
Central Region
Wisconsin–Eau Claire* 63
Beloit 57
Wisconsin–Eau Claire* 78
Wisconsin–Eau Claire 90
Thomas More 55
Bridgewater (VA)* 82
Christopher Newport 72
Bridgewater (VA)* 81
South Region
Thomas More 83
Thomas More 80
Roanoke* 76

Final Four

Final Four
March 21, 1997
New York, NY 		National championship
March 22, 1997
New York, NY
    
NYU 84
Scranton 72
NYU 72
Wisconsin–Eau Claire 70
Capital 63
Wisconsin–Eau Claire 77 Third place
Scranton 48
Capital 70

All-tournament team

See also

References

  1. ^ Restivo, Liam (March 17, 2024). "NYU women's basketball wins national championship undefeated". Washington Square News.
  2. ^ DeAngelis, Jenna (March 17, 2024). "NYU women beat Smith to win program's 2nd NCAA D-III basketball championship". CBS News.
  3. ^ "Division III Women's Basketball Championship Results" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  4. ^ Ryu, Kevin (September 14, 2020). "The '96-'97 NYU Women's Basketball Team Was Impossibly Good". Washington Square News.
  5. ^ Otis, John (March 23, 2012). "N.Y.U.'s 1997 National Title Team Is Still Doing Well". New York Times.