2023 NCAA Division II women's basketball tournament
| Teams | 64 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finals site |
| ||||
| Champions | Ashland (3rd title) | ||||
| Runner-up | Minnesota-Duluth (1st title game) | ||||
| Semifinalists |
| ||||
| Winning coach | Kari Pickens (1st title) | ||||
| MOP | Annie Roshak (Ashland) | ||||
| |||||
The 2023 NCAA Division II women's basketball tournament is a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of women's NCAA Division II college basketball in the United States. The tournament featured 64 teams.
During the 2022–23 academic year, the NCAA organized many events to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the enactment of Title IX, federal legislation outlawing sex discrimination in higher education. As part of this celebration, the NCAA scheduled the women's basketball championship games of all three of its divisions at the site of the 2023 Division I Final Four.[1] Accordingly, the championship game will be held on April 1, 2023, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. The national quarterfinals and semifinals were played at the St. Joseph Civic Arena in St. Joseph, Missouri.
This scheduling also created an unusually long break in the tournament. Normally, the national championship game is played one or two days after the semifinals, but this year's final took place 10 days after the semifinals.[1]
Tournament schedule and venues
[edit]
Regionals
[edit]First, second, and third-round games (the latter of which doubles as a regional championship) were held at campus sites from March 10–13, 2023. The top-seeded team in each regional served as host.
Elite Eight
[edit]The national quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals were held at predetermined sites: the former two rounds were played at the St. Joseph Civic Arena in St. Joseph, Missouri and the latter at American Airlines Center in Dallas.
The national championship was played on April 1, 2023, in Dallas, concurrently with the 2023 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament Final Four.
Qualification
[edit]A total of 64 bids were available for the tournament: Twenty-three automatic bids (awarded to the champions of each Division II conference) and 41 at-large bids.
The bids are allocated evenly among the eight NCAA-designated regions (Atlantic, Central, East, Midwest, South, South Central, Southeast, and West), each of which contains either two or three of the twenty-three Division II conferences that sponsor men's basketball. Each region consists of two or three automatic qualifiers (the teams who won their respective conference tournaments) and either five or six at-large bids, awarded regardless of conference affiliation.
Automatic bids (23)
[edit]| Automatic bids | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region (Bids) | Conference | School | Record (Conf.) | Appearance | Last bid |
| Atlantic (3) | CIAA | Elizabeth City State | 20–10 | 2nd | 2007 |
| MEC | Glenville State | 29-2 | 16th | 2022 | |
| PSAC | California (PA) | 21-10 | 19th | 2022 | |
| Central (3) | GAC | Southern Nazarene | 27-4 | 2nd | 2021 |
| MIAA | Missouri Southern | 27-6 | 5th | 2022 | |
| NSIC | Minnesota Duluth | 27-3 | 15th | 2022 | |
| East (3) | CACC | Dominican (NY) | 21-10 | 3rd | 2021 |
| ECC | Daemen | 20-4 | 4th | 2022 | |
| NE-10 | Bentley | 21-9 | 37th | 2022 | |
| Midwest (3) | GLIAC | Grand Valley State | 29-2 | 17th | 2022 |
| GLVC | Drury | 30-1 | 20th | 2022 | |
| G-MAC | Ashland | 31-0 | 13th | 2022 | |
| South (3) | GSC | Union (TN) | 26-3 | 8th | 2022 |
| SIAC | Tuskegee | 26-3 | 7th | 2021 | |
| SSC | Tampa | 30-1 | 15th | 2022 | |
| South Central (2) | LSC | Angelo State | 25-6 | 14th | 2020 |
| RMAC | Regis | 25-6 | 7th | 2017 | |
| Southeast (3) | CC | UNC Pembroke | 22-9 | 1st | Never |
| PBC | Georgia Southwestern State | 24-6 | 2nd | 2022 | |
| SAC | Lenoir–Rhyne | 24-7 | 5th | 2014 | |
| West (3) | CCAA | Cal State San Marcos | 23-5 | 3rd | 2022 |
| GNAC | Western Washington | 24-3 | 19th | 2022 | |
| PacWest | Azusa Pacific | 25-4 | 7th | 2022 | |
At-large bids (41)
[edit]| At-large bids | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region (Bids) | School | Conference | Record (Conf.) | Appearance | Last bid |
| Atlantic (5) | Charleston (WV) | MEC | 23-8 | 11th | 2022 |
| Gannon | PSAC | 29-4 | 14th | 2022 | |
| Shippensburg | PSAC | 24-6 | 10th | 2017 | |
| West Chester | PSAC | 22-8 | 8th | 2018 | |
| West Virginia State | MEC | 22-6 | 2nd | 2004 | |
| Central (5) | Augustana (SD) | NSIC | 25-5 | 15th | 2018 |
| Central Missouri | MIAA | 25-4 | 25th | 2021 | |
| Minnesota State-Mankato | NSIC | 25-4 | 8th | 2022 | |
| Nebraska–Kearney | MIAA | 28-4 | 15th | 2022 | |
| Pittsburg State | MIAA | 22-7 | 12th | 2019 | |
| East (5) | Assumption | NE-10 | 24-5 | 8th | 2017 |
| Jefferson | CACC | 26-4 | 14th | 2022 | |
| Le Moyne | NE-10 | 21-6 | 5th | 2022 | |
| Southern New Hampshire | NE-10 | 21-7 | 4th | 2022 | |
| St. Thomas Aquinas | ECC | 21-8 | 3rd | 2019 | |
| Midwest (5) | Kentucky Wesleyan | G-MAC | 23-6 | 5th | 2021 |
| Lewis | GLVC | 21-10 | 16th | 2020 | |
| Malone | G-MAC | 21-9 | 2nd | 2017 | |
| Michigan Tech | GLIAC | 25-6 | 21st | 2021 | |
| Trevecca Nazarene | G-MAC | 21-9 | 1st | Never | |
| South (5) | Eckerd | SSC | 24-5 | 7th | 2022 |
| Lee | GSC | 25-6 | 7th | 2022 | |
| Lynn | SSC | 23-8 | 3rd | 2013 | |
| Nova Southeastern | SSC | 21-8 | 7th | 2019 | |
| Valdosta State | GSC | 22-6 | 15th | 2022 | |
| South Central (6) | Black Hills State | RMAC | 22-7 | 4th | 2021 |
| Colorado Mines | RMAC | 24-6 | 5th | 2022 | |
| Lubbock Christian | LSC | 22-10 | 7th | 2022 | |
| Texas Woman's | LSC | 26-5 | 4th | 2022 | |
| UT Tyler | LSC | 24-7 | 1st | Never | |
| West Texas A&M | LSC | 21-10 | 28th | 2022 | |
| Southeast (5) | Catawba | SAC | 25-5 | 8th | 2022 |
| Clayton State | PBC | 18-11 | 15th | 2020 | |
| North Georgia | PBC | 19-10 | 7th | 2022 | |
| South Carolina-Aiken | PBC | 18-11 | 7th | 2013 | |
| Wingate | SAC | 22-7 | 20th | 2022 | |
| West (5) | Cal State Dominguez Hills | CCAA | 28-2 | 8th | 2015 |
| Cal State LA | CCAA | 20-9 | 3rd | 2012 | |
| Cal Poly Pomona | CCAA | 18-10 | 28th | 2020 | |
| Central Washington | GNAC | 21-8 | 5th | 2022 | |
| Montana State Billings | GNAC | 24-7 | 15th | 2018 | |
Bracket
[edit]Atlantic
[edit]- Site: Glenville, West Virginia (Glenville State)
| First round March 10 | Regional semifinals March 11 | Regional Finals March 13 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Glenville State | 84 | ||||||||||||
| 8 | Elizabeth City State | 60 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Glenville State | 107 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Shippensburg | 76 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | West Virginia State | 83 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Shippensburg | 87 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Glenville State | 88 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | West Chester | 63 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | West Chester | 80 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | California (PA) | 67 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | West Chester | 73 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Charleston (WV) | 60 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Charleston (WV) | 69 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Gannon | 65 | ||||||||||||
* – Denotes overtime period
Central
[edit]- Site: Duluth, Minnesota (Minnesota-Duluth)
| First round March 10 | Regional semifinals March 11 | Regional Finals March 13 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Minnesota-Duluth | 66 | ||||||||||||
| 8 | Southern Nazarene | 50 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Minnesota-Duluth | 86 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Minnesota State-Mankato | 70 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Minnesota State-Mankato | 83 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Central Missouri | 81 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Minnesota-Duluth | 77 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Missouri Southern State | 76 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Missouri Southern State | 75 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Augustana (SD) | 74 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Missouri Southern State | 73 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Pittsburg State | 64 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Pittsburg State | 74 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Nebraska-Kearney | 54 | ||||||||||||
* – Denotes overtime period
East
[edit]- Site: Worcester, Massachusetts (Assumption)
| First round March 10 | Regional semifinals March 11 | Regional Finals March 13 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Assumption | 71 | ||||||||||||
| 8 | Dominican (NY) | 49 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Assumption | 62 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Bentley | 47 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Bentley | 53 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Le Moyne | 39 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Assumption | 62 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Jefferson | 57 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Jefferson | 74 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Daemen | 47 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Jefferson | 62 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Southern New Hampshire | 49 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | St. Thomas Aquinas | 44 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Southern New Hampshire | 65 | ||||||||||||
* – Denotes overtime period
Midwest
[edit]- Site: Ashland, Ohio (Ashland)
| First round March 10 | Regional semifinals March 11 | Regional Finals March 13 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Ashland | 72 | ||||||||||||
| 8 | Malone | 65 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Ashland | 73 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Trevecca Nazarene | 49 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Trevecca Nazarene | 65 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Michigan Tech | 63 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Ashland | 61 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Grand Valley State | 58 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Grand Valley State | 81 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Kentucky Wesleyan | 77 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Grand Valley State | 61 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Drury | 53 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Lewis | 60 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Drury | 71 | ||||||||||||
* – Denotes overtime period
South
[edit]- Site: Tampa, Florida (Tampa)
| First round March 10 | Regional semifinals March 11 | Regional Finals March 13 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Tampa | 82 | ||||||||||||
| 8 | Tuskegee | 64 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Tampa | 73 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Lee | 51 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Lynn | 52 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Lee | 63 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Tampa | 76 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Eckerd | 53 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Union (TN) | 58 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Valdosta State | 52 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Union (TN) | 57 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Eckerd | 64 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Nova Southeastern | 73 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Eckerd | 79 | ||||||||||||
* – Denotes overtime period
South Central
[edit]- Site: San Angelo, Texas (Angelo State)
| First round March 10 | Regional semifinals March 11 | Regional Finals March 13 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Angelo State | 70 | ||||||||||||
| 8 | West Texas A&M | 65 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Angelo State | 61 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | UT-Tyler | 71 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | UT-Tyler | 73 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Colorado Mines | 63 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | UT-Tyler | 67 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Lubbock Christian | 64 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Regis | 57 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Black Hills State | 61 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Black Hills State | 48 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Lubbock Christian | 66 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Lubbock Christian | 62 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Texas Woman's | 55 | ||||||||||||
* – Denotes overtime period
Southeast
[edit]- Site: Salisbury, North Carolina (Catawba)
| First round March 10 | Regional semifinals March 11 | Regional Finals March 13 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Catawba | 57 | ||||||||||||
| 8 | UNC-Pembroke | 40 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Catawba | 75 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Clayton State | 49 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Clayton State | 65 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Lenoir-Rhyne | 48 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Catawba | 75 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Georgia Southwestern State | 65 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Georgia Southwestern State | 92 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | South Carolina-Aiken | 66 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Georgia Southwestern State | 81 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Wingate | 64 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | North Georgia | 53 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Wingate | 72 | ||||||||||||
* – Denotes overtime period
West
[edit]- Site: Carson, California (Cal State Dominguez Hills)
| First round | Regional semifinals | Regional Finals | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Cal State Dominguez Hills | 87 | ||||||||||||
| 8 | Cal Poly Pomona | 61 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Cal State Dominguez Hills | 77 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Montana State Billings | 66 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Cal State LA | 66 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Montana State Billings | 69 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Cal State Dominguez Hills | 73 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Cal State San Marcos | 51 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Cal State San Marcos | 86 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Central Washington | 74 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Cal State San Marcos | 75 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Azusa Pacific | 67 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Azusa Pacific | 71 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Western Washington | 53 | ||||||||||||
* – Denotes overtime period
Elite Eight
[edit]- Site: Elite 8 and Final 4-St. Joseph Civic Arena, St. Joseph, Missouri/National Championship Game-American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
| Elite Eight March 20, 2023 | Final Four March 22, 2023 | National championship April 1, 2023 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Ashland | 81 | ||||||||||||
| 8 | UT-Tyler | 72 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Ashland | 76 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Glenville State | 67 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Tampa | 66 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Glenville State | 78 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Ashland | 78 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Minnesota-Duluth | 67 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Minnesota-Duluth | 61 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Assumption | 41 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Minnesota-Duluth | 70 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Catawba | 59 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Cal State Dominguez Hills | 70 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Catawba | 77 | ||||||||||||
All-tournament team
[edit]- Annie Roshak, Ashland
- Zoe Miller, Ashland
- Hayley Smith, Ashland
- Hallie Heidemann, Ashland
- Brooke Olson, Minnesota-Duluth
See also
[edit]- 2023 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament
- 2023 NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament
- 2023 NAIA women's basketball tournament
- 2023 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament
References
[edit]- ^ a b "DII, DIII teams ready to battle for national titles, honor Title IX at Women's Final Four" (Press release). NCAA. March 27, 2023. Retrieved April 1, 2023.