1986 NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament

The 1986 NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament was the fifth annual tournament hosted by the NCAA to determine the national champion of Division III women's collegiate basketball in the United States.

1986 NCAA Division III
women's basketball tournament

Teams	32
Finals site	Salem, Massachusetts
Champions	Salem State Vikings (1st title)
Runner-up	Bishop Tigers (1st title game)
Third place	Capital Crusaders (2nd Final Four)
Fourth place	Rust Bearcats (1st Final Four)
Winning coach	Tim Shea (1st title)
NCAA Division III women's tournaments «1985 1987»

Salem State defeated Bishop in the championship game, 89–85, to claim the Vikings' first Division III national title.

The championship rounds were hosted in Salem, Massachusetts.

Bracket

First round

• NYU 70, Buffalo St. 65
• Albany (NY) 74, Columbia 67
• Salem St. 58, Bridgewater St. 47
• Emmanuel (MA) 59, Southern Me. 50
• St. Norbert 77, Susquehanna 63
• Wis.-Whitewater 71, Alma 65
• Rust 74, Chris. Newport 43
• UNC Greensboro 84, Va. Wesleyan 75
• Elizabethtown 70, Moravian 64
• Scranton 70, Juniata 53
• Kean 68, Ohio Northern 64
• Capital 84, Allegheny 66
• Eastern Conn. St. 71, Elmhurst 68
• William Penn 80, Carroll (WI) 68
• Bishop 83, Pomona-Pitzer 57
• Concordia-M’head 67, Saint Mary’s (MN) 63

Regional finals

• Albany (NY) 68, NYU 66
• Salem St. 77, Emmanuel (MA) 60
• Wis.-Whitewater 57, St. Norbert 56
• Rust 99, UNC Greensboro 61
• Elizabethtown 74, Scranton 60
• Capital 72, Kean 71 (OT)
• William Penn 75, Eastern Conn. St. 59
• Bishop 90, Concordia-M’head 86

National finals

	National quarterfinals					National semifinals					National championship
	Salem State		90
	Albany		79
						Salem State		67
						Rust		59
	Rust		78
	Wisconsin–Whitewater		64
											Salem State		89
											Bishop		85
	Capital		61
	Elizabethtown		55
						Capital		68			National third-place game
						Bishop		73
	Bishop		85								Rust		61
	William Penn		77								Capital		77

All-tournament team

• Evelyn Oquendo, Salem State
• Beth Kapnis, Salem State
• Crystal Coleman, Bishop
• Batavia Evans, Bishop
• Mary Fuhr, Capital

See also

• 1986 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament
• 1986 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament
• 1986 NCAA Division II women's basketball tournament
• 1986 NAIA women's basketball tournament