1981 NCAA Division II basketball tournament
The 1981 NCAA Division II basketball tournament involved 32 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college basketball as a culmination of the 1980–81 NCAA Division II men's basketball season. It was won by Florida Southern College and Florida Southern's John Ebeling was the Most Outstanding Player.
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![Emmitsburg](../I/Cyan_pog.svg.png.webp)
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![1981 NCAA Division II basketball tournament](../I/Orange_pog.svg.png.webp)
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![Orlando](../I/Cyan_pog.svg.png.webp)
![Springfield](../I/Red_pog.svg.png.webp)
Teams | 32 | ||||
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Finals site | Springfield, Massachusetts | ||||
Champions | Florida Southern Moccasins (1st title) | ||||
Runner-up | Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers (2nd title game) | ||||
Semifinalists |
| ||||
Winning coach | Hal Wissel (1st title) | ||||
MOP | John Ebeling (Florida Southern) | ||||
Attendance | 64,659 | ||||
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Regional participants
School | Outcome | |
---|---|---|
Cheyney | Third Place | |
Elizabeth City State | Runner-up | |
Mount St. Mary's | Regional Champion | |
Randolph–Macon | Fourth Place |
School | Outcome | |
---|---|---|
Indiana State–Evansville | Fourth Place | |
Northern Michigan | Regional Champion | |
Western Illinois | Runner-up | |
Wright State | Third Place |
School | Outcome | |
---|---|---|
Central Missouri State | Fourth Place | |
Green Bay | Regional Champion | |
North Dakota | Runner-up | |
North Dakota State | Third Place |
School | Outcome | |
---|---|---|
Jacksonville State | Third Place | |
Lincoln (MO) | Fourth Place | |
North Alabama | Regional Champion | |
NE Missouri State | Runner-up |
School | Outcome | |
---|---|---|
Chico State | Fourth Place | |
Cal State Dominguez Hills | Runner-up | |
Eastern Montana | Third Place | |
Puget Sound | Regional Champion |
School | Outcome | |
---|---|---|
Florida Southern | Regional Champion | |
Morehouse | Fourth Place | |
UCF | Runner-up | |
West Georgia | Third Place |
School | Outcome | |
---|---|---|
Bloomsburg | Fourth Place | |
Cal Poly | Regional Champion | |
Clarion | Runner-up | |
Monmouth | Third Place |
School | Outcome | |
---|---|---|
New Hampshire College | Regional Champion | |
Sacred Heart | Runner-up | |
Springfield | Fourth Place | |
Stonehill | Third Place |
*denotes tie
Regionals
South Atlantic - Emmitsburg, Maryland
Location: Memorial Gym Host: Mount Saint Mary's College and Seminary
Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 6 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 7 | ||||||||
Mount St. Mary's | 81 | ||||||||
Cheyney | 75 | ||||||||
Mount St. Mary's | 78 | ||||||||
Elizabeth City State | 76 | ||||||||
Elizabeth City State | 54 | ||||||||
Randolph–Macon | 53 |
- Third Place - Cheyney 76, Randolph-Macon 67
Great Lakes - Macomb, Illinois
Location: Western Hall Host: Western Illinois University
Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 6 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 7 | ||||||||
Western Illinois | 80 | ||||||||
Indiana State–Evansville | 73 | ||||||||
Western Illinois | 87 | ||||||||
Northern Michigan | 93 | ||||||||
Northern Michigan | 70 | ||||||||
Wright State | 69 |
- Third Place - Wright State 96, Indiana State–Evansville 89
North Central - Green Bay, Wisconsin
Location: Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena Host: University of Wisconsin at Green Bay
Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 6 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 7 | ||||||||
Green Bay | 82 | ||||||||
North Dakota State | 76 | ||||||||
Green Bay | 72 | ||||||||
North Dakota | 60 | ||||||||
North Dakota | 87 | ||||||||
Central Missouri State | 80 |
- Third Place - North Dakota State 95, Central Missouri State 87
South Central - Florence, Alabama
Location: Flowers Hall Host: University of North Alabama
Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 5 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 6 | ||||||||
North Alabama | 67 | ||||||||
Lincoln | 53 | ||||||||
North Alabama | 63 | ||||||||
NE Missouri State | 59 | ||||||||
NE Missouri State | 82 | ||||||||
Jacksonville State | 78 |
- Third Place - Jacksonville State 84, Lincoln 66
West - Billings, Montana
Location: Alterowitz Gym Host: Eastern Montana College
Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 6 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 7 | ||||||||
Puget Sound | 62 | ||||||||
Chico State | 60 | ||||||||
Puget Sound | 72 | ||||||||
Cal State Dominguez Hills | 54 | ||||||||
Cal State Dominguez Hills | 61 | ||||||||
Eastern Montana | 52 |
- Third Place - Eastern Montana 54, Chico State 49
South - Orlando, Florida
Location: UCF Fieldhouse Host: University of Central Florida
Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 6 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 7 | ||||||||
UCF | 94 | ||||||||
Morehouse | 77 | ||||||||
UCF | 71 | ||||||||
Florida Southern | 73 | ||||||||
Florida Southern | 70 | ||||||||
West Georgia | 59 |
- Third Place - West Georgia 102, Morehouse 76
East - West Long Branch, New Jersey
Location: William T. Boylan Gymnasium Host: Monmouth College
Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 6 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 7 | ||||||||
Clarion | 80 | ||||||||
Monmouth | 78 | ||||||||
Clarion | 61 | ||||||||
Cal Poly | 84 | ||||||||
Cal Poly | 71 | ||||||||
Bloomsburg | 43 |
- Third Place - Monmouth 79, Bloomsburg 64
New England - Manchester, New Hampshire
Location: NHC Fieldhouse Host: New Hampshire College
Regional semifinals Round of 32 March 6 | Regional Final Sweet 16 March 7 | ||||||||
New Hampshire College | 76 | ||||||||
Springfield | 75 | ||||||||
New Hampshire College | 81 | ||||||||
Sacred Heart | 80 | ||||||||
Sacred Heart | 89 | ||||||||
Stonehill | 86 |
- Third Place - Stonehill 79, Springfield 78
*denotes each overtime played
National Quarterfinals
Quarterfinal - Emmitsburg, MD Elite Eight March 14 | ||||
Mount St. Mary's | 88 | |||
Northern Michigan | 74 |
Quarterfinal - Green Bay, WI Elite Eight March 14 | ||||
North Alabama | 39 | |||
Wisconsin-Green Bay | 65 |
Quarterfinal - San Luis Obispo, CA Elite Eight March 14 | ||||
New Hampshire College | 73 | |||
Cal Poly-SLO | 77 |
Quarterfinal - Tacoma, WA Elite Eight March 14 | ||||
Florida Southern | 56 | |||
Puget Sound | 55 |
National Finals - Springfield, Massachusetts
Location: Springfield Civic Center Hosts: American International College and Springfield College
National semifinals Final Four March 20 | National Championship March 21 | ||||||||
Mount St. Mary's | 76 | ||||||||
Green Bay | 60 | ||||||||
Mount St. Mary's | 68 | ||||||||
Florida Southern | 73 | ||||||||
Florida Southern | 54 | ||||||||
Cal Poly | 51 |
- Third Place - Cal Poly 62, Green Bay 61**
*denotes each overtime played
All-tournament team
- Jay Bruchak (Mount Saint Mary's)
- John Ebeling (Florida Southern)
- Mike Hayes (Florida Southern)
- Durelle Lewis (Mount Saint Mary's)
- Jim Rowe (Mount Saint Mary's)