Aiming for Perfection, University of Scranton’s Women’s Team Falls Short in National Final
In an unexpected turn of events, the University of Scranton’s women’s basketball team faced a significant challenge on Saturday as their quest for a flawless season and a national title was derailed by a tough shooting performance.
Denison University clinched their inaugural Division III basketball championship with a 55-41 victory over the Lady Royals. The Ohio-based team capitalized on a rare off-day from Scranton, who struggled with a mere 20% shooting accuracy at the Cregger Center at Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia.
The Royals had been aiming for their first perfect season and a national championship win since 1985, coming off a remarkable feat of snapping New York University’s impressive 91-game winning streak in the Final Four just two days prior. More on their journey here.
However, the second quarter on Saturday proved challenging, with Scranton not managing a single field goal and trailing 19-11 at halftime. Despite a third-quarter resurgence that saw them edge ahead 34-33, Denison responded dominantly in the final quarter with a decisive 10-0 run that sealed their victory.
During the match, Kaci Kranson, who was honored as a First Team All-American earlier that day, achieved a personal milestone by scoring her 2,000th point in her collegiate career.
The day also saw Scranton’s head coach, Ben O’Brien, recognized as the D3hoops.com National Coach of the Year, while senior guard Kaeli Romanowski earned a place on the Fifth Team. The game marked only the seventh loss for O’Brien in his four-year tenure with the Royals.
