1939 NAIA basketball tournament

1939 NAIA men's basketball tournament
Teams32
Finals siteMunicipal Auditorium
Kansas City, Missouri
ChampionsSouthwestern (KS) (1st title, 1st title game,
2nd Final Four)
Runner-upSan Diego State (1st title game,
1st Final Four)
Semifinalists
MVPEdgar Hinshaw (Southwestern (Kan.))
NAIA men's basketball tournament
«1938 1940»

The 1939 NAIA basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 3rd annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.[1] This was also the year the NCAA basketball tournament was started.

This tournament also featured the lowest-scoring game in tournament history between Loras College (Iowa) and Central Missouri State University, the two-time champions. Loras scored a total of 16 points, a tournament low as well, Central Missouri State won the game with a total score of 20. The total combined score of the game was 36, resulting in the all-time lowest scoring game in tournament history.

New Mexico A&M and Mississippi College were selected for the tournament, but did not make the trip to Kansas City. They were replaced by Wayne State and Culver-Stockton respectively. Notre Dame had also been given an invite to compete, but because of scheduling conflicts, the Fighting Irish declined.[2]

The championship game featured Southwestern (KS) defeat San Diego State by a score of 32-31. It would be the closest final score until the 1981 tournament which ended in overtime with a score of 86-85. (1939, 1981, and 2016 are the only three years a team has won by one point, to date.)

This year the NAIA awarded the first Chuck Taylor Most Valuable Player Award. The first award went to Edgar Hinshaw of Southwestern College

Awards and honors

Many of the records set by the 1939 tournament have been broken, and many of the awards were established much later:

  • Leading scorer est. 1963
  • Leading rebounder est. 1963
  • Charles Stevenson Hustle Award est. 1958
  • Coach of the Year est. 1954
  • Player of the Year est. 1994
  • Fewest points by team; single game: 16, Loras (Iowa) vs. Central Missouri State 20.
  • Fewest points in a tournament Game; both teams: 36 total; Central Missouri State vs. Loras (Iowa) (20-16).[3]

Bracket

First round Second round Elite Eight NAIA national semifinals NAIA national championship
          
Wayne (MI) 55
Anderson (IN) 26
Wayne (MI) 50
Glenville State 56
Glenville State 49
Simpson 34
Glenville State 52
TOP TIER
St. Ambrose 42
St. Ambrose 37
New Mexico Mines 22
St. Ambrose 42
Dakota Wesleyan 21
Dakota Wesleyan 41
West Texas State 38
Glenville State 37
Southwestern (KS) 46
Southwestern (KS) 39
Eau Claire State 30
Southwestern (KS) 37
Westminster (MO) 31
Westminster (MO) 33
Delta State 32
Southwestern (KS) 53
TOP TIER
NW Missouri State 37
NW Missouri State 35
Wayne State (NE) 20
NW Missouri State 30
Culver-Stockton 24
Culver-Stockton 53
Winona State 40
Southwestern (KS) 32
San Diego State 31
Central Missouri State 20
Columbia (IA) 16
Central Missouri State 32
Augustana (IL) 29
Augustana (IL) 49
Northwestern State (LA) 43
Peru State 45
BOTTOM TIER
Central Missouri State 31
Trinity (TX) 44
Alfred Holbrook 41
Trinity (TX) 42*
Peru State 48
Peru State 55
High Point 46
Peru State 39
San Diego State 49
Murray State 43
Jordan 37
Murray State 39
Manchester 42
Central State (OK) 50 NAIA third-place game
Manchester 53
Manchester 41 Glenville State 73
BOTTOM TIER
San Diego State 49 Peru State 49
San Diego State 49
Northern State 25
San Diego State 41
East Texas State 36
SW Missouri State 45
East Texas State 68
  •  * denotes overtime.

See also

References

  1. ^ NAIA.org
  2. ^ "Field for cage event is complete". Kansas City Journal - via Newspapers.com. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  3. ^ NAIA Championship History archived via WebCite