1997 NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament

1997 NCAA Division III
women's basketball tournament

Teams	64
Finals site	Coles Sports Center New York, New York
Champions	NYU Violets (1st title)
Runner-up	Wisconsin–Eau Claire Blugolds (2nd title game)
Third place	Capital Crusaders (5th Final Four)
Fourth place	Scranton Royals (4th Final Four)
Winning coach	Janice Quinn (1st title)
MOP	Marsha Harris (NYU)
Attendance	50,604
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.

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.

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

• Marsha Harris, NYU
• Jennifer Krowlikowski, NYU
• Allison Berg, Wisconsin–Eau Claire
• Erika Schmidt, Wisconsin–Eau Claire
• Kristin Long, Capital

See also

• 1997 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament
• 1997 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament
• 1997 NCAA Division II women's basketball tournament
• 1997 NAIA Division I women's basketball tournament
• 1997 NAIA Division II women's basketball tournament