The 1976 NAIA men's basketball tournament was held in March at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. The 39th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.[1] This was the first tournament since 1969 tournament to feature four new teams to the NAIA semifinals. (It was the 6th time since 1937 this happened; previous years were the inaugural year 1937, 1945, 1947, 1965, 1969).

1976 NAIA men's basketball tournament
Season1975–76
Teams32
Finals siteKemper Arena
Kansas City, Missouri
ChampionsCoppin State (1 title, 1 title game,
1 Final Four)
Runner-upHenderson State (1 title game,
1 Final Four)
Semifinalists
  • Marymount (KS) (1 Final Four)
  • Lincoln Memorial (1 Final Four)
Charles Stevenson
Hustle Award
Enos Mitchell (Henderson State)
MVPJoe Pace (Coppin State)
NAIA men's basketball tournament
«1975 1977»

Awards and honors

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  • Leading scorer:
  • Leading rebounder:
  • Player of the Year: est. 1994[2]

1976 NAIA bracket

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First round Second round Elite Eight NAIA national semifinals NAIA national championship
               
1 Fairmont State (W.Va.) 58
- Howard Payne (Tex.) 52
1 Fairmont State 75
16 Texas Southern 82
- West Florida 59
16 Texas Southern 81
16 Texas Southern 77
TOP TIER
9 Coppin State 88
9 Coppin State (Md.) 78
- Dowling (N.Y.) 55
9 Coppin State 68
8 Wisconsin-Parkside 67
- Franklin (Ind.) 61
8 Wisconsin-Parkside 74
9 Coppin State 82
4 Marymount 81
5 Pikeville (Ky.) 84
- Alabama-Huntsville 94
- Alabama-Huntsville 70
- Doane 59
- Doane (Neb.) 80
12 Norfolk State (Va.) 79
- Alabama-Huntsville 76
TOP TIER
4 Marymount 78
13 Central Washington State 75
- Briar Cliff (Iowa) 72
4 Marymount 83
13 Central Washington State 72
- Eastern Montana 76
4 Marymount (Kan.) 93
9 Coppin State 96
6 Henderson State 91
3 Alcorn State (Miss.) 79
- Lake Superior State (Mich.) 88'
14 Edinboro State 73
- Lake Superior State 76
- Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.) 73
14 Edinboro State (Pa.) 88
- Lake Superior State 61
BOTTOM TIER
6 Henderson State 78
11 Illinois Wesleyan 100
- Southwest Baptist (Mo.) 84
6 Henderson State 68
11 Illinois Wesleyan 66
- Bethany Nazarene (Okla.) 67
6 Henderson State (Ark.) 80
6 Henderson State 80
- Lincoln Memorial 79**
7 Guilford (N.C.) 95
- Lincoln Memorial (Tenn.) 101
- Lincoln Memorial 107
10 California Baptist 78
- Husson (Maine) 81
10 California Baptist 95
- Lincoln Memorial 75
BOTTOM TIER
15 Newberry 64
15 Newberry (S.C.) 89
- Linfield (Ore.) 86
15 Newberry 65
2 Grand Canyon 58
- Central State (Ohio) 52
2 Grand Canyon (Ariz.) 57
  •  * denotes double overtime.

Third-place game

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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
   
4 Marymount 78
- Lincoln Memorial 75

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "NAIA.org". Archived from the original on May 1, 2009. Retrieved April 19, 2009.
  2. ^ NAIA. "NAIA Championship History" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 23, 2011. Retrieved April 19, 2009.