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.

1981 NCAA Division II
Basketball Tournament

Teams	32
Finals site	Springfield, Massachusetts
Champions	Florida Southern Moccasins (1st title)
Runner-up	Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers (2nd title game)
Semifinalists	Cal Poly Mustangs (1st Final Four) Green Bay Phoenix (3rd Final Four)
Winning coach	Hal Wissel (1st title)
MOP	John Ebeling, Florida Southern
Attendance	64,659

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

	Regional Semifinals					Regional Final
	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

	Regional Semifinals					Regional Final
	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

	Regional Semifinals					Regional Final
	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

	Regional Semifinals					Regional Final
	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

	Regional Semifinals					Regional Final
	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

	Regional Semifinals					Regional Final
	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

	Regional Semifinals					Regional Final
	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

	Regional Semifinals					Regional Final
	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
	Mount St. Mary's		88
	Northern Michigan		74

	Quarterfinal - Green Bay, WI
	North Alabama		39
	Wisconsin-Green Bay		65

	Quarterfinal - San Luis Obispo, CA
	New Hampshire College		73
	Cal Poly-SLO		77

	Quarterfinal - Tacoma, WA
	Florida Southern		56
	Puget Sound		55

National Finals - Springfield, Massachusetts

Location: Springfield Civic Center

	Semifinals					Final
	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)

References

Sources

• 2010 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Tournament Records and Statistics: Division II men's basketball Championship
• 1981 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament jonfmorse.com