SCRANTON, Pa. — The University of Scranton women's basketball team delivered another dominant defensive performance Saturday night, defeating Concordia-Moorhead 67-42 in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament at the John Long Center to advance to the Final Four.

With the win, the Lady Royals improved to 31-0 on the season, tying a program record for victories, marking the fourth time in program history a team has reached 31 wins, and advancing to the Final Four for the 10th time.

The Basics

• Final Score: Scranton – 67, Concordia-Moorhead – 42
• Records: Scranton (31-0), Concordia-Moorhead (26-5)

How It Happened

• Scranton controlled the game from the opening minutes, using defensive pressure and strong play in the paint to take an early lead. Kaci Kranson scored the first points of the game on a layup before Kaeli Romanowski converted two free throws to make it 4-0. The Lady Royals continued to attack the basket as Kranson and Meghan Lamanna added buckets to help build an early advantage.
• Concordia-Moorhead got on the board midway through the first quarter, but Scranton continued to respond. Lamanna scored again in the paint and Katie Gorski added a layup before Elizabeth Bennett knocked down a jumper late in the quarter to help the Lady Royals take a 16-8 lead after the opening period.
• The Lady Royals extended their lead quickly in the second quarter. Gorski opened the frame with a layup and followed with another fast-break basket after a steal to push the margin into double digits. A three-pointer from Gorski and a jumper from Sophia Talutto helped Scranton build momentum before Bennett connected from beyond the arc in the final seconds of the half. The Lady Royals outscored Concordia-Moorhead 22-13 in the quarter to take a 38-21 lead into halftime.
• Scranton continued to control the game in the third quarter, building its lead to 24 after Jenna Sloan scored inside and Kranson knocked down a three-pointer. Concordia-Moorhead managed a small run behind Maya Metcalf, but the Lady Royals answered with baskets from Talutto and Kranson to maintain a comfortable 51-35 lead heading into the fourth.
• The Lady Royals put the game away in the final period. Lamanna opened the quarter with a layup before Romanowski knocked down a three-pointer and later added another basket in the paint to extend the lead past 20. Sloan added a three-pointer and Lamanna scored again late as Scranton held Concordia-Moorhead to just seven points in the quarter to secure the 25-point victory.
• Scranton finished the game shooting 47.4 percent from the field while limiting the Cobbers to 34.2 percent shooting and just two made three-pointers. The Lady Royals forced 20 turnovers and turned them into 21 points while holding a 36-16 advantage in points in the paint.

Inside the Box Score

• Kaci Kranson led the Lady Royals with 15 points and five rebounds. Katie Gorski added 13 points and five rebounds while Meghan Lamanna chipped in 11 points.
• Kaeli Romanowski filled the stat sheet with 10 points, nine rebounds, four assists and five steals, while Jenna Sloan added seven points and four assists.
• Elizabeth Bennett provided seven points off the bench for Scranton.
• Maya Metcalf led Concordia-Moorhead with 17 points.

• With the win, Scranton advances to the Final Four in Salem, Virginia. The national semifinals will be played on Thursday, March 19 with the national championship game scheduled for Saturday, March 21. More info on the Final Four will be released soon.