1979 AIAW National Small College Basketball Championship

The 1979 AIAW National Small College Basketball Championship was the fifth annual tournament hosted by the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women to determine the national champion of collegiate basketball among its small college members in the United States.

1979 AIAW National Small College Basketball Championship

Tournament information
Dates	March 20, 1979–March 24, 1979
Administrator	Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women
Host(s)	North Dakota State University
Venue(s)	Fargo, North Dakota
Participants	16
Final positions
Champions	South Carolina State (1st title)
Runner-up	Dayton
Tournament statistics
Matches played	16

The tournament was held at North Dakota State University in Fargo, North Dakota between March 20–24, 1979.

South Carolina State defeated Dayton in the championship game, 73–68, to capture the Lady Bulldogs' first AIAW small college national title. It is the only recognised national championship in the school's history.

Sixteen teams participated in a single-elimination tournament that additionally included a third-place final for the two teams that lost in the semifinal games.

Tournament bracket

	First round					Quarterfinals					Semifinals					National championship
		Niagara	56
		San Francisco	52
							Niagara	78
							Morris Harvey	73
		Morris Harvey	84
		SE Louisiana	81
												Niagara	59
												Dayton	76
		Dayton	84
		Air Force	71
							Dayton	75
							High Point	65
		High Point	93
		North Dakota State	40
																	Dayton	68
																	South Carolina State	73
		Tuskegee	80
		Eastern Washington	71
							Tuskegee	75
							Tougaloo	57
		Tougaloo	69
		Pepperdine	41
												Tuskegee	70
												South Carolina State	85
		Seton Hall	74													Third place final
		Texas Wesleyan	58
							Seton Hall	53									Niagara	71
							South Carolina State	91									Tuskegee	55
		South Carolina State	86
		Emporia State	47

See also

• 1979 AIAW National Large College Basketball Championship