# 1996 NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament

The 1996 NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament was the 15th annual tournament hosted by the NCAA to determine the national champion of Division III women's collegiate basketball in the United States.
Wisconsin–Oshkosh defeated Mount Union in the championship game, 66–50, to claim the Titans' first Division III national title.
The championship rounds were hosted by the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

## Bracket

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

### Atlantic sectional

| Play-in round February 28, 1996 Campus sites | Play-in round February 28, 1996 Campus sites | Second round March 2, 1996 Campus sites | Second round March 2, 1996 Campus sites | Sectional semifinals March 8, 1996 Defiance, OH | Sectional semifinals March 8, 1996 Defiance, OH | | Sectional finals March 9, 1996 Defiance, OH | Sectional finals March 9, 1996 Defiance, OH |
| Southern Maine* | 66 | | | | | | | |
| Regis (MA) | 48 | | | | | | | |
| Regis (MA) | 48 | Southern Maine* | 73 | | | | | |
| Northeast Region | Northeast Region | Southern Maine* | 73 | | | | | |
| Northeast Region | Northeast Region | Westfield State | 52 | | | | | |
| Worcester Tech | 58 | Westfield State | 52 | | | | | |
| Westfield State* | 63 | | | | | | | |
| Westfield State* | 63 | | | Southern Maine | 62 | | | |
| | | | | Mount Union | 79 | | | |
| Capital* | 71 | | | | | Mount Union | 79 | | | |
| Muskingum | 65 | | | | | | | |
| Muskingum | 65 | Capital | 62 | | | | | |
| Atlantic Region | Atlantic Region | Capital | 62 | | | | | |
| Atlantic Region | Atlantic Region | Mount Union* | 65 | | | | | |
| Wittenberg | 51 | Mount Union* | 65 | | | | | |
| Mount Union* | 64 | | | | | | | |
| Mount Union* | 64 | | | | | | Mount Union | 66 |
| | | | | | | | Defiance | 61 |
| Middlebury* | 67 | | | | | | | | Defiance | 61 |
| Emmanuel (MA) | 54 | | | | | | | |
| Emmanuel (MA) | 54 | Middlebury | 55 | | | | | |
| Northeast Region | Northeast Region | Middlebury | 55 | | | | | |
| Northeast Region | Northeast Region | Salem State* | 58 | | | | | |
| Eastern Connecticut | 47 | Salem State* | 58 | | | | | |
| Salem State* | 69 | | | | | | | |
| Salem State* | 69 | | | Salem State | 58 | | | |
| | | | | Defiance | 84 | | | |
| Salisbury | 77 | | | | | Defiance | 84 | | | |
| Goucher* | 53 | | | | | | | |
| Goucher* | 53 | Salisbury | 64 | | | | | |
| Atlantic Region | Atlantic Region | Salisbury | 64 | | | | | |
| Atlantic Region | Atlantic Region | Defiance* | 94 | | | | | |
| Baldwin Wallace | 73 | Defiance* | 94 | | | | | |
| Defiance* | 84 | | | | | | | |

### South sectional

| Play-in round February 28, 1996 Campus sites | Play-in round February 28, 1996 Campus sites | Second round March 2, 1996 Campus sites | Second round March 2, 1996 Campus sites | Sectional semifinals March 8, 1996 Ashland, VA | Sectional semifinals March 8, 1996 Ashland, VA | | Sectional finals March 9, 1996 Ashland, VA | Sectional finals March 9, 1996 Ashland, VA |
| Randolph-Macon* | 91 | | | | | | | |
| Shenandoah | 74 | | | | | | | |
| Shenandoah | 74 | Randolph-Macon* | 99 | | | | | |
| South Region | South Region | Randolph-Macon* | 99 | | | | | |
| South Region | South Region | Millsaps | 66 | | | | | |
| Hendrix | 57 | Millsaps | 66 | | | | | |
| Millsaps* | 65 | | | | | | | |
| Millsaps* | 65 | | | Randolph-Macon | 77 | | | |
| | | | | Bethel (MN)* | 96 | | | |
| Claremont-Mudd-Scripps* | 62 | | | | | Bethel (MN)* | 96 | | | |
| La Verne | 61 | | | | | | | |
| La Verne | 61 | Claremont-Mudd-Scripps | 60 | | | | | |
| West Region | West Region | Claremont-Mudd-Scripps | 60 | | | | | |
| West Region | West Region | Bethel (MN)* | 64 | | | | | |
| Concordia Moorhead | 60 | Bethel (MN)* | 64 | | | | | |
| Bethel (MN)* | 64 | | | | | | | |
| Bethel (MN)* | 64 | | | | | | Bethel (MN) | 57 |
| | | | | | | | St. Thomas (MN) | 65 |
| Maryville (TN)* | 77 | | | | | | | | St. Thomas (MN) | 65 |
| Roanoke | 76 | | | | | | | |
| Roanoke | 76 | Maryville (TN) | 53 | | | | | |
| South Region | South Region | Maryville (TN) | 53 | | | | | |
| South Region | South Region | Marymount (VA)* | 92 | | | | | |
| Trinity (TX) | 53 | Marymount (VA)* | 92 | | | | | |
| Marymount (VA)* | 92 | | | | | | | |
| Marymount (VA)* | 92 | | | Marymount (VA) | 62 | | | |
| | | | | St. Thomas (MN) | 67 | | | |
| UC San Diego* | 58 | | | | | St. Thomas (MN) | 67 | | | |
| Pomona-Pitzer | 57 | | | | | | | |
| Pomona-Pitzer | 57 | UC San Diego | 42 | | | | | |
| West Region | West Region | UC San Diego | 42 | | | | | |
| West Region | West Region | St. Thomas (MN)* | 66 | | | | | |
| St. Benedict | 52 | St. Thomas (MN)* | 66 | | | | | |
| St. Thomas (MN)* | 68 | | | | | | | |

### East sectional

| Play-in round February 28, 1996 Campus sites | Play-in round February 28, 1996 Campus sites | Second round March 2, 1996 Campus sites | Second round March 2, 1996 Campus sites | Sectional semifinals March 8, 1996 New York, NY | Sectional semifinals March 8, 1996 New York, NY | | Sectional finals March 9, 1996 New York, NY | Sectional finals March 9, 1996 New York, NY |
| Rowan* | 81 | | | | | | | |
| Elizabethtown | 68 | | | | | | | |
| Elizabethtown | 68 | Rowan* | 90 | | | | | |
| Mid-Atlantic Region | Mid-Atlantic Region | Rowan* | 90 | | | | | |
| Mid-Atlantic Region | Mid-Atlantic Region | Messiah | 65 | | | | | |
| Messiah | 75 | Messiah | 65 | | | | | |
| Allentown* | 65 | | | | | | | |
| Allentown* | 65 | | | Rowan | 97 | | | |
| | | | | William Smith | 69 | | | |
| William Smith* | 83 | | | | | William Smith | 69 | | | |
| Hartwick | 61 | | | | | | | |
| Hartwick | 61 | William Smith* | 85 | | | | | |
| East Region | East Region | William Smith* | 85 | | | | | |
| East Region | East Region | Geneseo State | 68 | | | | | |
| Binghamton | 66 | Geneseo State | 68 | | | | | |
| Geneseo State* | 71 | | | | | | | |
| Geneseo State* | 71 | | | | | | Rowan | 63 |
| | | | | | | | NYU | 68 |
| Johns Hopkins* | 70 | | | | | | | | NYU | 68 |
| Alvernia | 58 | | | | | | | |
| Alvernia | 58 | Johns Hopkins | 62 | | | | | |
| Mid-Atlantic Region | Mid-Atlantic Region | Johns Hopkins | 62 | | | | | |
| Mid-Atlantic Region | Mid-Atlantic Region | Scranton* | 75 | | | | | |
| Cabrini | 74 | Scranton* | 75 | | | | | |
| Scranton* | 85 | | | | | | | |
| Scranton* | 85 | | | Scranton | 48 | | | |
| | | | | NYU | 77 | | | |
| Nazareth* | 59 | | | | | NYU | 77 | | | |
| St. John Fisher | 60 | | | | | | | |
| St. John Fisher | 60 | St. John Fisher | 41 | | | | | |
| East Region | East Region | St. John Fisher | 41 | | | | | |
| East Region | East Region | NYU* | 82 | | | | | |
| CCNY | 43 | NYU* | 82 | | | | | |
| NYU | * | | | | | | | |

### Central sectional

| Play-in round February 28, 1996 Campus sites | Play-in round February 28, 1996 Campus sites | Second round March 2, 1996 Campus sites | Second round March 2, 1996 Campus sites | Sectional semifinals March 8, 1996 Decatur, IL | Sectional semifinals March 8, 1996 Decatur, IL | | Sectional finals March 9, 1996 Decatur, IL | Sectional finals March 9, 1996 Decatur, IL |
| Millikin* | 74 | | | | | | | |
| MacMurray | 43 | | | | | | | |
| MacMurray | 43 | Millikin* | 74 | | | | | |
| Central Region | Central Region | Millikin* | 74 | | | | | |
| Central Region | Central Region | Luther | 59 | | | | | |
| Luther | 91 | Luther | 59 | | | | | |
| Buena Vista* | 76 | | | | | | | |
| Buena Vista* | 76 | | | Millikin | 71 | | | |
| | | | | Wisconsin–Eau Claire | 90 | | | |
| Wisconsin–Eau Claire* | 70 | | | | | Wisconsin–Eau Claire | 90 | | | |
| Wisconsin–Stout | 41 | | | | | | | |
| Wisconsin–Stout | 41 | Wisconsin–Eau Claire* | 68 | | | | | |
| Great Lakes Region | Great Lakes Region | Wisconsin–Eau Claire* | 68 | | | | | |
| Great Lakes Region | Great Lakes Region | Calvin | 47 | | | | | |
| Ripon | 50 | Calvin | 47 | | | | | |
| Calvin* | 60 | | | | | | | |
| Calvin* | 60 | | | | | | Wisconsin–Eau Claire | 57 |
| | | | | | | | Wisconsin–Oshkosh | 62 |
| Wheaton (IL)* | 72 | | | | | | | | Wisconsin–Oshkosh | 62 |
| Carthage | 71 | | | | | | | |
| Carthage | 71 | Wheaton | 62 | | | | | |
| Central Region | Central Region | Wheaton | 62 | | | | | |
| Central Region | Central Region | Washington St. Louis* | 68 | | | | | |
| Illinois Wesleyan | 63 | Washington St. Louis* | 68 | | | | | |
| Washington St. Louis* | 68 | | | | | | | |
| Washington St. Louis* | 68 | | | Washington St. Louis | 53 | | | |
| | | | | Wisconsin–Oshkosh | 75 | | | |
| Alma* | 44 | | | | | Wisconsin–Oshkosh | 75 | | | |
| Beloit | 47 | | | | | | | |
| Beloit | 47 | Beloit | 50 | | | | | |
| Great Lakes Region | Great Lakes Region | Beloit | 50 | | | | | |
| Great Lakes Region | Great Lakes Region | Wisconsin–Oshkosh* | 69 | | | | | |
| DePauw | 45 | Wisconsin–Oshkosh* | 69 | | | | | |
| Wisconsin–Oshkosh* | 77 | | | | | | | |

### Final Four

| Final Four March 15, 1996 Oshkosh, WI | Final Four March 15, 1996 Oshkosh, WI | National championship March 16, 1996 Oshkosh, WI | National championship March 16, 1996 Oshkosh, WI |
| Mount Union | 71 | | |
| St. Thomas (MN) | 57 | | |
| St. Thomas (MN) | 57 | Mount Union | 50 |
| | | Wisconsin–Oshkosh | 66 |
| NYU | 37 | Wisconsin–Oshkosh | 66 |
| Wisconsin–Oshkosh | 62 | Third place | Third place |
| | | St. Thomas (MN) | 75 |
| | | NYU | 51 |

## All-tournament team

* Shelley Dietz, Wisconsin–Oshkosh
* Wendy Wangerin, Wisconsin–Oshkosh
* Suzy Venet, Mount Union
* Tracy Wilson, Mount Union
* Kirsten Vipond, St. Thomas (MN)