# 1997 NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament

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

### Mid-Atlantic sectional

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

### Great Lakes sectional

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

### Central sectional

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

### Final Four

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