2001 NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament

The 2001 NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament was the 20th annual tournament hosted by the NCAA to determine the national champion of Division III women's collegiate basketball in the United States.

2001 NCAA Division III
women's basketball tournament

Teams	50
Finals site	O'Neill Center Danbury, Connecticut
Champions	Washington University Bears (4th title)
Runner-up	Messiah Falcons (1st title game)
Third place	Emmanuel Saints (1st Final Four)
Fourth place	Ohio Wesleyan Battling Bishops (1st Final Four)
Winning coach	Nancy Fahey (4th title)
MOP	Tasha Rodgers (Washington-St. Louis)
Attendance	30,212
NCAA Division III women's tournaments «2000 2002»

Three-time defending champions Washington University in St. Louis defeated Messiah University in the championship game, 67–45, to claim the Bears' fourth Division III national title, their fourth of four consecutive.

The championship rounds were hosted at the O'Neill Center at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, Connecticut from March 16–17, 2001.

Bracket

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

Top left sectional

	First round February 28, 2001 Campus sites				Second round March 3, 2001 Campus sites				Sectional semifinals March 9, 2001 New York, NY				Sectional finals March 10, 2001 New York, NY
					NYU*	89
					Mount St. Mary (NY)	47
	RPI*	54
	Mount St. Mary (NY)	66
									NYU	64
									Bowdoin	60
	Eastern Connecticut State*	53
	Bowdoin	61
					Bowdoin	72*
					Salem State*	65
													NYU	70
													Emmanuel	74*
					Emmanuel (MA)*	79
					Springfield	56
	Springfield*	60
	Southern Maine	49
									Emmanuel	87
									Cortland State	70
	St. Lawrence*	60
	Cortland State	62
					Cortland State	70
					Oneonta State*	64

Bottom left sectional

	First round February 28, 2001 Campus sites				Second round March 3, 2001 Campus sites				Sectional semifinals March 9, 2001 St. Paul, MN				Sectional finals March 10, 2001 St. Paul, MN
					Millikin*	56
					Fontbonne	69
	Fontbonne*	83
	Rockford	47
									Fontbonne	78
									Wartburg	82
	Nebraska Wesleyan*	73
	Carleton	51
					Nebraska Wesleyan	71
					Wartburg*	85
	Wartburg*	86
	Chapman	78
													Wartburg	71
													Washington St. Louis	83
					George Fox*	52
					St. Thomas (MN)	64
	St. Thomas (MN)*	69
	Claremont-Mudd-Scripps	59
									St. Thomas (MN)	58
									Washington St. Louis	65
	Wisconsin–Eau Claire*	71
	Lakeland	43
					Wisconsin–Eau Claire	67
					Washington St. Louis*	87

Top right sectional

	First round February 28, 2001 Campus sites				Second round March 3, 2001 Campus sites				Sectional semifinals March 9, 2001 Ewing Township, NJ				Sectional finals March 10, 2001 Ewing Township, NJ
					TCNJ*	68
					Ithaca	58
	Ithaca*	79
	New England	61
									TCNJ	68
									Elizabethtown	45
	Swarthmore*	66
	Gwynedd Mercy	55
					Swarthmore	58
					Elizabethtown*	79
													TCNJ	61
													Messiah	72
					King's (PA)*	61
					Messiah	68
	Messiah*	70
	Bethany (WV)	58
									Messiah	97**
									Marymount (VA)	86
	Marymount (VA)*	85
	Staten Island	65
					Marymount (VA)	64
					Salisbury State*	59

Bottom right sectional

	First round February 28, 2001 Campus sites				Second round March 3, 2001 Campus sites				Sectional semifinals March 9, 2001 Berea, OH				Sectional finals March 10, 2001 Berea, OH
					Hope*	71
					Ohio Wesleyan	72
	Lake Forest*	55
	Ohio Wesleyan	67
									Ohio Wesleyan	71
									Centre (KY)	64
	Centre (KY)*	87
	Thomas More	86
					Centre (KY)	63
					Maryville (TN)*	57
	Maryville (TN)*	77
	Christopher Newport	65
													Ohio Wesleyan	66
													Baldwin Wallace	64
					Hardin-Simmons*	106
					Guilford	77
	Guilford*	80
	Meredith	57
									Hardin-Simmons	71
									Baldwin Wallace*	78
	Defiance*	90
	Penn State Behrend	59
					Defiance	63
					Baldwin Wallace*	82

Final Four

	Final Four March 16, 2001 O'Neill Center Danbury, CT				National championship March 17, 2001 O'Neill Center Danbury, CT
	Emmanuel	62
	Washington St. Louis	78
					Washington St. Louis	67
					Messiah	45
	Messiah	70
	Ohio Wesleyan	57			Third place
					Emmanuel	54
					Ohio Wesleyan	70

All-tournament team

• Tasha Rodgers, Washington University in St. Louis
• Jennifer Rudis, Washington University in St. Louis
• Katy Sturtz, Ohio Wesleyan
• Amy Hitz, Messiah
• Brianne Bognanno, Emmanuel (MA)

See also

• 2001 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament
• 2001 NCAA Division II women's basketball tournament
• 2001 NAIA Division I women's basketball tournament
• 2001 NAIA Division II women's basketball tournament
• 2001 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament