1997 NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament

The 1997 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament was held in March at Mabee Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The 60th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.[1]

1997 NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament
Teams	32
Champions	Life (1 title, 2 title game, 2 Fab Four)
Runner-Up	Oklahoma Baptist (5 title game, 6 Fab Four)
Semifinalists	Point Park Cumberland
Chuck Taylor MVP	James Harris (Life)
Charles Stevenson Hustle Award	Kevin Morrissey (Oklahoma Baptist)

Awards and honors

• Leading scorers:
• Leading rebounder:
• Player of the Year: Juergen Malbeck (Hawaii Pacific).[2]

1997 NAIA bracket

	First Round					Second Round					Elite Eight					NAIA National Semifinals					NAIA National Championship
	1	Life	107
	-	Huston–Tillotson	68
						1	Life	81
						-	BYU–Hawaii	65
	-	BYU–Hawaii	82
	16	Transylvania	67
											1	Life	66
	TOP TIER
											8	Birmingham Southern	64
	9	SE Oklahoma State	90
	-	Carroll (MT)	53
						9	Southeastern Oklahoma	67
						8	Birmingham Southern	73
	8	Birmingham–Southern	73
	-	The Master’s	70
																1	Life	69
																13	Cumberland	52
	-	Central Washington	61
	5	Incarnate Word	58
						-	Central Washington	87
						12	Azusa Pacific	76
	12	Azusa Pacific	61
	-	Columbia (MO)	55*
											-	Central Washington	68
	TOP TIER
											13	Cumberland	89
	13	Cumberland	71
	-	Southern Nazarene	50
						13	Cumberland	53
						-	Dillard	50
	-	Dillard	'83
	4	Benedict	74
																					1	Life	73
																					3	Oklahoma Baptist	64
	3	Oklahoma Baptist	74
	-	Lindsey Wilson	68
						3	Oklahoma Baptist	39
						14	Biola	36
	14	Biola	97
	-	Georgia Southwestern State	74
											3	Oklahoma Baptist	82
	BOTTOM TIER
											-	McKendree	73
	-	McKendree	67
	11	St. Mary's (TX)	57
						-	McKendree	76
						6	Findlay	70
	6	Findlay	72
	-	Olivet Nazarene	61
																3	Oklahoma Baptist	93
																-	Point Park	75
	-	Point Park	111
	7	Lipscomb	100
						-	Point Park	71
						-	Claflin	70
	-	Claflin	57
	10	East Central (OK)	50
											-	Point Park	88
	BOTTOM TIER
											2	Hawaii Pacific	84*
	15	Georgetown (KY)	66
	-	Phillips	64
						15	Georgetown (KY)	70
						2	Hawaii Pacific	88
	2	Hawaii Pacific	82
	-	William Carey	79

•  * denotes overtime.

References

1. "NAIA.org". Archived from the original on 2009-05-05. Retrieved 2020-05-18.
2. NAIA Championship History Archived 2009-05-05 at WebCite