2016 NAIA Division I women's basketball tournament

The 2016 NAIA Division I women's basketball tournament was the tournament held by the NAIA to determine the national champion of women's college basketball among its Division I members in the United States and Canada for the 2015–16 basketball season.

2016 (2016) NAIA Division I women's basketball tournament

Teams	32
Finals site	Independence Events Center Independence, Missouri
Champions	MidAmerica Nazarene Pioneers (1st title, 1st title game, 1st Fab Four)
Runner-up	Baker Wildcats (1st title game, 1st Fab Four)
Semifinalists	Benedictine Ravens (1st Fab Four) Pikeville Bears (1st Fab Four)
Coach of the year	Jon Lewis (MidAmerica Nazarene)
Player of the year	Lindsey Burd (Campbellsville)
Charles Stevenson Hustle Award	Jasmine Webb (MidAmerica Nazarene)
Chuck Taylor MVP	Kyleesha Weston (MidAmerica Nazarene)
Top scorer	Erin Legel (Campbellsville) (60 points)
NAIA Division I women's tournaments «2015 2017»

MidAmerica Nazarene defeated Baker (KS) in the championship game, 49–35, to claim the Pioneers' first NAIA national title.

The tournament was played at the Independence Events Center in Independence, Missouri.^[1]

Qualification

See also: 2015–16 NAIA Division I women's basketball season

The tournament field remained fixed at thirty-two teams, which were sorted into four quadrants of eight teams each. Within each quadrant, teams were seeded sequentially from one to eight based on record and season performance.

The tournament continued to utilize a simple single-elimination format.

Bracket

	First round					Second round					Quarterfinals					Semifinals					National championship
	1	Our Lady of the Lake	82
	8	William Woods	52
						1	Our Lady of the Lake	63
						5	Benedictine (KS)	71
	5	Benedictine (KS)	55*
	4	Montana State Northern	53
											5	Benedictine (KS)	45
											2	Campbellsville	36
	3	The Master's	59
	6	Loyola New Orleans	57
						3	The Master's	55
						2	Campbellsville	62
	7	Xavier Louisiana	50
	2	Campbellsville	75
																5	Benedictine (KS)	34
																6	Baker (KS)	50
	2	Shawnee State	77
	7	Langston	69
						2	Shawnee State	56
						6	Baker (KS)	70
	6	Baker (KS)	80
	3	Columbia (MO)	71
											6	Baker (KS)	71
											4	Lewis–Clark State	52
	4	Lewis–Clark State	67
	5	Oklahoma City	52
						4	Lewis–Clark State	75
						8	Cumberland (TN)	70
	8	Cumberland (TN)	56
	1	Bethel (TN)	51
																					6	Baker (KS)	35
																					2	MidAmerica Nazarene	49
	1	Lyon (AR)	58
	8	LSU Shreveport	48
						1	Lyon (AR)	50
						5	Great Falls	60
	5	Great Falls	70
	4	Central Methodist	58
											5	Great Falls	68
											6	Pikeville	75
	3	Wayland Baptist	65
	6	Pikeville	70
						6	Pikeville	77
						2	Vanguard	57
	7	Auburn Montgomery	53
	2	Vanguard	60
																6	Pikeville	70
																2	MidAmerica Nazarene	78
	2	MidAmerica Nazarene	68
	7	Martin Methodist	53
						2	MidAmerica Nazarene	59
						3	Freed–Hardeman	51
	6	Carroll (MT)	44
	3	Freed–Hardeman	51
											2	MidAmerica Nazarene	60
											5	Lindsey Wilson	44
	4	Talladega	67
	5	Lindsey Wilson	69
						5	Lindsey Wilson	63
						1	Westmont	59
	8	Huston–Tillotson	47
	1	Westmont	82

See also

• 2016 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament
• 2016 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament
• 2016 NCAA Division II women's basketball tournament
• 2016 NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament
• 2016 NAIA Division II women's basketball tournament

References

1. "NAIA Women's Basketball Championship History" (PDF). NAIA. Retrieved March 30, 2022.