# 1981 NAIA men's basketball tournament

The 1981 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. The 44th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. The championship game featured Bethany Nazarene College and the University of Alabama in Huntsville. It was the first time that the championship game went into overtime. Bethany Nazarene edged out Alabama-Huntsville with the final score of 86-85 (OT). 1981 was also the first year the NAIA held a women's national basketball championship tournament. For the second time since 1963, the year the award was established, there was a tie for the leading scorer. Todd Thurman and George Torres both scored 104 over the course of the 1981 tournament. There have been no ties since. And for the first time since the Coach of the Year Award was established, Ken Anderson, won Coach of the Year for the second time. No other coach has won the award twice.

## Awards and honors

* Leading scorers; tie: Todd Thurman, Bethany Nazarene (Okla.); 5 games, 42 field goals, 20 free throws, totaling 104 points (averaging 20.8 points per game); George Torres, Bethany Nazarene (Okla.); 5 games, 33 field goals, 38 free throws, totaling 104 points (averaging 20.8 points per game)
* Leading rebounder: Ricky Knight, Alabama-Huntsville. In 5 games, 62 total rebounds (averaging 12.4 rebounds per game)
* Player of the Year: est. 1994
* All-time leading scorer; second appearance: Tony Carr 13th, Wisconsin–Eau Claire (1979,80,81,82); 15 games, 114 field goals, 45 free throws, totaling 273 points (18.2 average points per game).

## 1981 NAIA bracket

| First round | First round | First round | | | Second round | Second round | Second round | Elite Eight | Elite Eight | Elite Eight | | NAIA national semifinals | NAIA national semifinals | NAIA national semifinals | | NAIA national championship | NAIA national championship | NAIA national championship |
| 1 | Briar Cliff (Iowa) | 76 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Fairmont State (W. Virginia) | 67 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Fairmont State (W. Virginia) | 67 | | | 1 | Briar Cliff | 46 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 16 | Hillsdale | 53 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Dominican (N.Y.) | 64 | | | 16 | Hillsdale | 53 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Hillsdale (Mich.) | 70 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Hillsdale (Mich.) | 70 | | | | | | 16 | Hillsdale | 65 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 16 | Hillsdale | 65 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | - | Midwestern State | 64 | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Western New Mexico | 55 | | | | | | | | | - | Midwestern State | 64 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Midwestern State (Texas) | 56 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Midwestern State (Texas) | 56 | | | - | Midwestern State | 104 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | Lincoln Memorial | 87 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Lincoln Memorial (Tenn.) | 71 | | | - | Lincoln Memorial | 87 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Rockhurst (Mo.) | 68 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Rockhurst (Mo.) | 68 | | | | | | | | | | 16 | Hillsdale | 60 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | Alabama-Huntsville | 65 | | | | |
| 5 | Alabama-Huntsville | 105 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | Alabama-Huntsville | 65 | | | | |
| - | Norfolk State (Virginia) | 75 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Norfolk State (Virginia) | 75 | | | 5 | Alabama-Huntsville | 67 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 12 | Oregon College | 62 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Xavier (La.) | 66 | | | 12 | Oregon College | 62 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Oregon College | 98 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Oregon College | 98 | | | | | | 5 | Alabama-Huntsville | 94 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | 5 | Alabama-Huntsville | 94 | | | | | | | | |
| TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | TOP TIER | - | Hanover | 74 | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Henderson State (Ark.) | 50 | | | | | | | | | - | Hanover | 74 | | | | | | | | |
| - | South Carolina-Spartanburg | 61 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | South Carolina-Spartanburg | 61 | | | - | South Carolina-Spartanburg | 60 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | - | Hanover | 72 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Hanover (Ind.) | 66 | | | - | Hanover | 72 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Fort Hays State (Kan.) | 64 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Fort Hays State (Kan.) | 64 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | Alabama-Huntsville | 85* |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | Bethany Nazarene | 86 |
| 3 | Augsburg (Minn.) | 56 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | Bethany Nazarene | 86 |
| - | Drury (Mo.) | 54 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Drury (Mo.) | 54 | | | 3 | Augsburg | 81 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 14 | Kearney State | 77 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Campbellsville (Ky.) | 96 | | | 14 | Kearney State | 77 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Kearney State (Neb.) | 108 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Kearney State (Neb.) | 108 | | | | | | 3 | Augsburg | 69 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 3 | Augsburg | 69 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 6 | Bethany Nazarene | 84 | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | Southern Tech (Ga.) | 82 | | | | | | | | | 6 | Bethany Nazarene | 84 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Franklin Pierce (N.H.) | 75 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Franklin Pierce (N.H.) | 75 | | | - | Southern Tech | 58 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 6 | Bethany Nazarene | 88 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Chicago State (Ill.) | 63 | | | 6 | Bethany Nazarene | 88 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Bethany Nazarene (Okla.) | 69 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Bethany Nazarene (Okla.) | 69 | | | | | | | | | | 6 | Bethany Nazarene | 62 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Wisconsin–Eau Claire | 54 | | | | |
| 7 | Huron (S.D.) | 59 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Wisconsin–Eau Claire | 54 | | | | |
| - | Gardner–Webb (N. C.) | 52 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Gardner–Webb (N. C.) | 52 | | | 7 | Huron | 52 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 10 | Biola | 50 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Central Washington | 42 | | | 10 | Biola | 50 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Biola (California) | 57 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Biola (California) | 57 | | | | | | 7 | Huron | 29 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 7 | Huron | 29 | | | | | | | | |
| BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | BOTTOM TIER | 2 | Wisconsin–Eau Claire | 35 | | | | | | | | |
| 15 | Cedarville (Ohio) | 57 | | | | | | | | | 2 | Wisconsin–Eau Claire | 35 | | | | | | | | |
| - | Waynesburg (Pa.) | 60 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Waynesburg (Pa.) | 60 | | | - | Waynesburg | 21 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 2 | Wisconsin–Eau Claire | 22 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | St. Mary's (Texas) | 59 | | | 2 | Wisconsin–Eau Claire | 22 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Wisconsin–Eau Claire | 61 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* * denotes overtime.

### Third-place game

The third-place game featured the losing teams from the national semifinalist to determine 3rd and 4th places in the tournament. This game was played until 1988.
| NAIA third-place game | NAIA third-place game | NAIA third-place game |
| 16 | Hillsdale | 60 |
| 2 | Wisconsin–Eau Claire | 90 |