Four HBCUs have won 12 games in DI women’s basketball tournament history. Here’s what you need to know.
Winning Schools
Cheyney opened the DI women’s basketball tournament on an impressive run, advancing to the Final Four in two of the first three years of the tournament. Cheyney won four games to advance to the inaugural national title game in 1982, one game in 1983 and three games to advance to the Final Four in 1984.
The only other two HBCUS to win a DI women’s basketball tournament game are South Carolina State, Howard and Southern, winning in 1983, 2022 and 2025, respectively. South Carolina State won its game in the opening round of the 1983 tournament, defeating La Salle 85-67 in the Mideast Regional.
Howard and Southern are the only HBCUs to win a tournament game since the bracket expanded to 64 teams in 1994. The Bison won their game in the First Four of the 2022 tournament, defeating Incarnate Word 55-51. The Jaguars won their game in the First Four of the 2025 tournament, defeating UC San Diego 68-56, and then followed up with their second win — also in the First Four — in 2026 with a 65-53 win over Samford.
Howard vs. Incarnate Word – First Four NCAA tournament extended highlights
Complete history
Here’s the complete history of every HBCU women’s win during March Madness.
| YEAR | HBCU | OPPONENT | ROUND | SCORE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | No. 16 Southern | No. 16 Samford | First Four | 65-53 |
| 2025 | No. 16 Southern | No. 16 UC San Diego | First Four | 68-56 |
| 2022 | No. 16 Howard | No. 16 UIW | First Four | 55-51 |
| 1984 | No. 3 Cheyney | No. 6 Maryland | First Round | 92-64 |
| No. 3 Cheyney | No. 2 North Carolina | Regional Semifinals | 73-72 | |
| No. 3 Cheyney | No. 1 Old Dominion | Regional Finals | 80-71 | |
| 1983 | No. 1 Cheyney | No. 8 Monmouth | First Round | 107-35 |
| South Carolina State | La Salle | Opening | 85-67 | |
| 1982 | No. 2 Cheyney | No. 7 Auburn | First Round | 75-64 |
| No. 2 Cheyney | No. 3 NC State | Regional Semifinals | 74-61 | |
| No. 2 Cheyney | No. 4 Kansas Sate | Regional Finals | 93-71 | |
| No. 2 Cheyney | No. 2 Maryland | Final Four | 76-66 |
