Women's Basketball Scranton Athletic Communications

Lady Royals Defeat Catholic, 74-36; Advance to Landmark Championship

SCRANTON, Pa. -- The University of Scranton women's basketball team delivered a dominant performance Thursday night, defeating Catholic University 74-36 in the Landmark Conference semifinals at the John Long Center.

The Basics
  • Final Score: Scranton 74, Catholic 36
  • Records: Scranton (26-0), Catholic (17-9)
  • Scranton will host the third-seeded Elizabethtown College Blue Jays on Saturday, Feb. 28, at 2:00 p.m. in the John Long Center for the conference title. 

How it Happened
  • The Lady Royals opened strong with Kaci Kranson and Meghan Lamanna hitting early threes as they set the tone. Kranson added a floater, while Katie Gorski and Sophia Talutto kept the momentum with driving layups.
  • Defense sparked separation late in the first quarter, highlighted by Elizabeth Bennett's block and free throws, followed by a Talutto floater and another Kranson three. A Cardinals turnover led to a Talutto fast-break layup, giving the Lady Royals a 24–15 lead after one quarter of play.
  • Scranton extended the lead in the second quarter with Jenna Sloan assisting Kranson for a layup, while Gorski, Kaeli Romanowski, and Bennett added strong finishes inside to keep the Lady Royals ahead.
  • Talutto closed the half with a deep three and a buzzer-beating floater, sending the Lady Royals into halftime ahead, 39-23.
  • The Lady Royals pushed through after the half with a Lamanna three. Kranson found Gorski for a layup to stretch the lead.
  • Romanowski recorded four steals, including back-to-back hustle plays that led to a fast-break layup, and another pass to Sloan for a finish. Talutto and Gorski pushed the advantage as the Lady Royals turned turnovers into points.
  • The Lady Royals never let up in the fourth, sinking another Lamanna three, along with layups from Kranson and Bennett, and a Gorski corner three to extend the lead. Steady foul shooting down the stretch secured the dominant win as Scranton closed it out comfortably with a 74-36 victory.

Inside the Box Score
  • FG: Scranton 41.5% | Catholic 22.9%
  • 3PT: Scranton 30.4% | Catholic 27.8%
  • FT: Scranton 65% | Catholic 50%
  • Rebounds: Scranton 48 | Catholic 32

Top Performers
  • Kaeli Romanowski: 5 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 steals
  • Kaci Kranson: 15 points, 9 rebounds
  • Meghan Lamanna: 12 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists
  • Elizabeth Bennett: 13 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks
  • Katie Gorski: 14 points, 8 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block

Up Next
  • Scranton will host the Landmark Conference championship game on Saturday, Feb. 28, at 2:00 p.m. against Elizabethtown in the John Long Center.