The 1943 NAIA basketball tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 7th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format.[1] The championship game featured Southeast Missouri State defeating Northwest Missouri State 34–32.

1943 NAIA men's basketball tournament
Teams32
Finals siteMunicipal Auditorium
Kansas City, Missouri
ChampionsSoutheast Missouri State (1st title, 1st title game,
1st Final Four)
Runner-upNorthwest Missouri State (1st title game,
1st Final Four)
Semifinalists
MVPBelus Smawley (Appalachian State (N.C.))
NAIA men's basketball tournament
«1942 1944»

This was the first tournament to feature a championship game between two teams from the same state, Missouri, playing in Missouri. The 3rd place game featured the first overtime in the NAIA Final Four history when North Texas State defeated Murray State 59–55 in one overtime.

Awards and honors

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Many of the records set by the 1943 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[2]

Bracket

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First round Second round Elite Eight NAIA national semifinals NAIA national championship
          
SE Missouri State 50
Dakota Wesleyan 30
SE Missouri State 56
Westminster 33
Westminster (MO) 48
Loyola Chicago 45*
SE Missouri State 57
TOP TIER
Eastern Washington State 51
Eastern Washington State 54
Valparaiso 42
Eastern Washington State 54
St. Cloud State 41
St. Cloud State 59
Texas Wesleyan 54
SE Missouri State 38
Murray State 36
Murray State 72
SW Missouri State 44
Murray State 44
Southwestern (KS) 42
Southwestern (KS) 70
Ouachita Baptist 36
Murray State 44
TOP TIER
George Pepperdine 38
George Pepperdine 50
Kearney State 45
George Pepperdine 43
Luther 38
Luther 31
Southwestern State (OK) 29
SE Missouri State 34
NW Missouri State 32
York (NE) 52
Akron 49
York 49
North Texas State 51
North Texas State 60
Stout Institute 37
North Texas State 45
BOTTOM TIER
Hamline 41
East Central State 53
South Dakota State 47
East Central State 39
Hamline 41
Hamline 65
Central (MO) 38
North Texas State 31
NW Missouri State 47
Kansas Wesleyan 43
Lawrence Tech 42
Kansas Wesleyan 40
Appalachian State 54
Appalachian State 48 NAIA third-place game
Simpson 31
Appalachian State 34 Murray State 55*
BOTTOM TIER
NW Missouri State 46 North Texas State 59
Eastern Oregon 45
Illinois Wesleyan 40
Eastern Oregon State 24
NW Missouri State 61
NW Missouri State 37
Indiana State 28
  •  * denotes overtime.

See also

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References

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