BEYOND THE SCOREBOARD
An occasional sports feature highlighting the unique stories of local athletes and coaches.
Beyond skill, tenacity and speed, members of the undefeated University of Scranton women’s basketball team say something sets them apart.
“We're so close,” said Kaeli Romanowski, a senior guard from Wayne County. “It's like you're playing with your families, your sisters. So we're just having fun doing it.”
On Thursday, that “family” plays two-time defending national champions New York University in the Division III Final Four in Salem, Virginia. The winner of the game will play for the national championship on Saturday.
The Lady Royals left for the Cregger Center at Roanoke College on Tuesday afternoon, having won 31 straight games — by an average margin of 38 points.
“It's been an incredible season so far. We just have a wonderful group of players and coaches and just really excited to see what we're going to do next,” said head Coach Ben O’Brien, who coached Dunmore High School girls before moving to the collegiate level in 2022. “They get along so well. The chemistry on the court and off the court has been special, and it's really been that way since we started this year. “
Another conference title
The University of Scranton, ranked second in the country behind NYU, has become a powerhouse in Division III women’s basketball, winning 11 straight Landmark Conference titles.
The team received national attention in November, when the Royals beat the University of Pittsburgh in an exhibition game. ESPN had given Scranton a .1% chance of beating the Division I school.
That momentum carried through conference play, with the team cruising to lopsided victories. The team also received numerous honors in the postseason from D3Hoops.com.
Kaci Kranson was named Region 5 Player of the Year for the second straight season. Sophia Talutto, a Dunmore graduate, earned Region 5 Rookie of the Year honors, and Ben O'Brien was selected Region 5 Coach of the Year. Kranson and Romanowski also earned All-Region First Team honors.
Scranton hosted the first four rounds of the Division III NCAA tournament, beating four opponents by an average of 36 points. The program has had nine Final Four appearances. Beating NYU would put Scranton in the national title game for the first time since winning it all in 1985, according to D3Hoops.com.
“Our job is not finished,” said Kranson, a Holy Cross High School graduate. “We want that national championship, and we're just really, really working hard.”
Stellar career for Kranson
Kranson excelled at Holy Cross, helping lead the Dunmore school to three district championships.
She began making an impact at the University of Scranton right away. She’s earned First Team All-Region honors all four years. She leads the team with 18.4 points per game for her senior season, while shooting a career-best .515 from the field and .438 from three-point range. She is 13 points away from the 2,000-point career milestone and is one of 11 finalists for the prestigious Jostens Trophy, given to the most outstanding men’s and women’s players in Division III basketball.
Kranson, a criminal justice major who plans to become a police officer, called the postseason “bittersweet.”
“I've been playing basketball my whole life, so knowing that this is coming to an end is a little sad, but doing it with these girls and these coaches is just something that I'll never forget,” she said. “We're all very close on and off the courts. We're best friends. I just think we put so much work into this season that it's just nice to see that it's all paying off.”
One last 'family' trip
The Martz bus idled outside the John Long Center on Tuesday afternoon, where the team had wrapped up practice — the last one ever on campus for the seniors.
They prepared to face the NYU Violets, who last week posted their 91st-consecutive victory, now the second-longest in NCAA basketball history. The Royals lost to NYU two years ago, 68-46, in the NCAA sectional final.
The “family” loaded duffel bags and snacks onto the bus — one more road trip together.
“We're such a close-knit group that we are loving every single second that we're out there. Even off the court, we're always together. You don't really find one of us without another one right behind,” said Romanowski, a Western Wayne graduate. “We're super excited, super grateful to have the opportunity, and just looking forward to getting down there and hopefully finishing some business.”
How to watch
The Lady Royals (31-0) will face New York University (29-0) in the national semifinal at 7:30 p.m. (ET) on Thursday. Earlier that day, University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh (28-3) will meet Denison University (28-2) in the other national semifinal at 5 p.m. (ET).
Live streaming of the games will be available through ESPN+.
