2008 NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament

2008 NCAA Division III
women's basketball tournament

Teams	63
Finals site	DeVos Fieldhouse, Holland, Michigan
Champions	Howard Payne Yellow Jackets (1st title)
Runner-up	Messiah Falcons (2nd title game)
Third place	Oglethorpe Stormy Petrels (1st Final Four)
Fourth place	Wisconsin–Whitewater Warhawks (1st Final Four)
Winning coach	Chris Kielsmeier (1st title)
MOP	Meia Daniels (Howard Payne)
Attendance	29,800
NCAA Division III women's tournaments « 2007 2009 »

The 2008 NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament was the 27th annual tournament hosted by the NCAA to determine the national champion of Division III women's collegiate basketball in the United States. ^[1]

Howard Payne defeated Messiah in the championship game, 68–54, to claim the Yellow Jackets' first Division III national title.

The championship rounds were hosted by Hope College at the DeVos Fieldhouse in Holland, Michigan from March 21–22.

Qualifying

For the third consecutive year, the tournament featured sixty-three teams. All teams but one, Howard Payne, started play in the First Round, with the Yellow Jackets receiving the singular bye to the Second Round.

Bracket

Top left sectional

	First round March 7, 2008 Regional sites				Second round March 8, 2008 Regional sites				Sectional semifinals March 14, 2008 Grantham, PA				Sectional finals March 15, 2008 Grantham, PA
	Cabrini	34
	Messiah	63
					Messiah	64
	Grantham, PA
					St. Lawrence	49
	William Paterson	57
	St. Lawrence	64
									Messiah	73
									Rochester	61
	Eastern Conn. State	66
	Rochester	71
					Rochester	69
	Scranton, PA
					Medaille	50
	Medaille	56
	Scranton	54
													Messiah	55
													Tufts	49
	Wheaton (MA)	67
	Tufts	71
					Tufts	54
	Newburgh, NY
					Mount Saint Mary	38
	Albright	62
	Mount Saint Mary	75
									Tufts	48
									Mary Washington	45
	Bridgewater (VA)	52
	TCNJ	65
					TCNJ	50
	Fredericksburg, VA
					Mary Washington	56
	Baruch	58
	Mary Washington	73

Bottom left sectional

	First round March 7, 2008 Regional sites				Second round March 8, 2008 Regional sites				Sectional semifinals March 14, 2008 Union Township, NJ				Sectional finals March 15, 2008 Union Township, NJ
	Brandeis	74
	Southern Maine	71
					Brandeis	61
	Union Township, NJ
					Kean	95
	Utica	76
	Kean	83
									Kean	70
									Chicago	56
	St. Thomas (MN)	59
	Chicago	62
					Chicago	65
	Stevens Point, WI
					Saint Norbert	52
	St. Norbert	71
	UW Stevens Point	57
													William Smith	86
													Oglethorpe	98
	Colby-Sawyer	72
	William Smith	76
					William Smith	78
	Geneva, NY
					Brockport State	73
	Emmanuel (MA)	64
	Brockport State	68
									William Smith	63
									Oglethorpe	69
	Piedmont	78
	Oglethorpe	91
					Oglethorpe	65
	Crestview Hills, KY
					Thomas More	55
	Greensboro	63
	Thomas More	76

Top right sectional

	First round March 7, 2008 Regional sites				Second round March 8, 2008 Regional sites				Sectional semifinals March 14, 2008 Brownwood, TX				Sectional finals March 15, 2008 Brownwood, TX
					Howard Payne	79
	Abilene, TX/Brownwood, TX
					McMurry	64
	Trinity (TX)	67
	McMurry	71
									Howard Payne	69
									DeSales	42
	Muhlenberg	48
	DeSales	56
					DeSales	74
	Allentown, PA
					Salem State	55
	Salem State	63
	Marymount (VA)	73
													Howard Payne	53
													George Fox	49
	La Verne	58
	Puget Sound	74
					Puget Sound	66
	Tacoma, WA
					George Fox	72
	Chapman	55
	George Fox	71
									George Fox	47
									Hope	40
	D'Youville	53
	Baldwin-Wallace	83
					Baldwin-Wallace	48
	Berea, OH
					Hope	68
	Juniata	47
	Hope	76

Bottom right sectional

	First round March 7, 2008 Regional sites				Second round March 8, 2008 Regional sites				Sectional semifinals March 14, 2008 Whitewater, WI				Sectional finals March 15, 2008 Whitewater, WI
	Gustavus Adolphus	64
	Simpson	73
					Simpson	70
	Indianola, IA
					UW Eau Claire	63
	Carleton	52
	UW Eau Claire	61
									Simpson	69
									UW Whitewater	96
	Manchester	60
	UW Whitewater	77
					UW Whitewater	87
	Bloomington, IL
					Illinois Wesleyan	63
	Maryville (MO)	77
	Illinois Wesleyan	111
													UW Whitewater	83
													DePauw	80
	Becker	32
	Amherst	78
					Amherst	61
	Bridgewater, MA
					Bowdoin	60
	Bowdoin	64
	Bridgewater State	49
									Amherst	63
									DePauw	68
	Washington St. Louis	73
	Wilmington (OH)	72
					Washington St. Louis	66
	Greencastle, IN
					DePauw	73
	Denison	53
	DePauw Tigers	70

Final Four

	Final Four March 21, 2008 Holland, MI DeVos Fieldhouse				National championship March 22, 2008 Holland, MI DeVos Fieldhouse
	Messiah	80
	Oglethorpe	60
					Messiah	54
					Howard Payne	68
	Howard Payne	69
	UW Whitewater	59			Third place
					Oglethorpe	67
					UW Whitewater	80

All-tournament team

• Meia Daniels, Howard Payne
• Kim Hoffman, Howard Payne
• Nikki Lobach, Messiah
• Tina Grace, Oglethorpe
• Tiffany Morton, Wisconsin–Whitewater

See also

• 2008 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament
• 2008 NCAA Division II women's basketball tournament
• 2008 NAIA Division I women's basketball tournament
• 2008 NAIA Division II women's basketball tournament
• 2008 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament

References

1. "DIVISION III WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS RECORDS BOOK" (PDF). ncaa.org. NCAA. Retrieved April 11, 2025.