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.

1996 NCAA Division III
women's basketball tournament

Teams	64
Finals site	Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Champions	Wisconsin–Oshkosh Titans (1st title)
Runner-up	Mount Union Purple Raiders (1st title game)
Third place	St. Thomas Tommies (3rd Final Four)
Fourth place	NYU Violets (1st Final Four)
Winning coach	Kathi Bennett (1st title)
NCAA Division III women's tournaments «1995 1997»

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

South sectional

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

East sectional

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

Central sectional

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

Final Four

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

See also

• 1996 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament
• 1996 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament
• 1996 NCAA Division II women's basketball tournament
• 1996 NAIA Division I women's basketball tournament
• 1996 NAIA Division II women's basketball tournament