The University of Scranton women's basketball team (31-0) will compete in the NCAA Division III Final Four this week at the Cregger Center in Salem, Virginia, facing New York University (29-0) in the national semifinal on Thursday, March 19 at 7:30 p.m. (EST).

The Basics:

• National Semifinal Game: Scranton vs. NYU
• Date: Thursday, March 19
• Time: 7:30 p.m. EST
• Location: Cregger Center at Roanoke College | Salem, Va. 
• The Lady Royals will be the designated away team and will be wearing their purple uniforms.
• The winner of Thursday's semifinal will advance to the National Championship game on Saturday, March 21 at 4:00 p.m inside the Cregger Center. 
• The University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh (28-3) will meet Denison University (28-2) in the other national semifinal Thursday at 5 p.m. EST. 

Fans:

• Please note that live streaming of the games will be available through ESPN+. Viewers must have an ESPN+ subscription to watch the broadcasts.

Links to all fan resources are available below:

• Tickets
• Bracket
• Live Stats
• Radio Broadcast with Dean Corwin on WUSR 99.5
• ESPN+ Streaming
• Media Information
• Hotel Information
• Dining Information
• City of Salem
• Directions to the Cregger Center

University of Scranton:

• Record: 31-0 
• The Lady Royals are ranked No. 4 in the NCAA Division III rankings and tied a program record with 31 wins this season.
• Scranton punched its ticket to the Final Four with a 67-42 win over Concordia-Moorhead in the Elite Eight, following victories over Bates College (76-59) in the Sweet 16, Otterbein (82-43) in the second round, and Framingham State (104-39) in the opening round, all after capturing its 11th straight Landmark Conference title dating back to 2015-16.
• Scranton ranks first in the country with 42.6 points against per game and a 38.4 scoring margin, and second behind NYU in offensive points per game at 81.0. 

Lady Royals to Watch: 

• Kaci Kranson (Sr., G): 18.4 PPG, 171 REB, .515 FG%, .438 3PT%; scored double figures in all but 2 games; 2025-26 Landmark Player of the Year, D3Hoops.com Region V Player of the Year, First Team All-Region & All-Conference; 13 points away from 2,000 career points
• Kaeli Romanowski (Sr., G): 5.2 PPG, 119 STL, 125 AST, 175 REB; Landmark Conference Defensive Player of the Year, First Team All-Conference, D3Hoops.com All-Region First Team; set program & Landmark single-season steals record; ranks 3rd nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio
• Elizabeth Bennett (Jr., F): 12.1 PPG, .374 3PT%, 134 REB; All-Landmark Conference Second Team
• Katie Gorski (Jr., F): 11.5 PPG, 176 REB, .532 FG%, 34 BLK; All-Landmark Conference Second Team
• Meghan Lamanna (Jr., G): 10.3 PPG, .419 3PT%, 65 AST; All-Landmark Conference Second Team
• Jenna Sloan (Sr., G): 10.67 assist-to-turnover ratio, 96 AST, 9 T/O, 62 REB, 36 STL; leads the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (next closest at 4.35)
• Sophia Talutto (Fr., G): 7.8 PPG, 65 STL, 53 REB; D3Hoops.com Region 5 Rookie of the Year, Landmark Conference Rookie of the Year; career-high 23 PTS, 9-12 FG in NCAA First Round vs Framingham State

Head Coach Ben O'Brien: 

• In his fourth season at Scranton; 116-6 record; became the fastest coach in NCAA history to reach 100 wins earlier this year (106 games – no data to suggest otherwise) 
• O'Brien and his staff were named the Landmark Coaching Staff of the Year, and he earned D3Hoops.com Region 5 Coach of the Year this season. 
• Four straight NCAA appearances; Three Sweet 16 appearances; back-to-back Elite 8 appearances. This is the first time O'Brien has led the Lady Royals to the Final Four. 
• Under O'Brien, the Lady Royals have an 11-3 record in NCAA Tournament games.

Scranton NCAA Tournament & Final Four History: 

• Scranton is in the NCAA tournament for an NCAA record 38^th time in program history and the 13th straight season – the longest active streak in Division III. 
• The Lady Royals hold a 79-40 career record in the NCAA tournament. 
• Scranton enters the NCAA Final Four for the 10^th time in program history and the first time since 2019. The Lady Royals hold a record of 1-8 in the National Semifinal game, with their lone win coming in 1985, a year they went on to win the program's only National Championship. Scranton made the AIAW Final Four in 1980 under legendary head coach Mike Strong. 
• This marks the first time in program history that the Lady Royals have entered the Final Four undefeated.

New York University:

• Record: 29-0
• Two-time defending NCAA Division III National Champions
• Ranked No. 1 in the nation with 91 consecutive wins; last loss came March 11, 2023 vs. Transylvania University
• Captured the University Athletic Association regular season title by four games over Washington University in St. Louis to earn the automatic NCAA bid
• NCAA Tournament run: defeated Maine–Farmington (108-44), Messiah (70-47), Hardin-Simmons (103-61), and Wisconsin–La Crosse (72-47)
• Leads the nation in scoring offense (88.2), assists per game (20.5), and three-pointers per game (10.9); also ranks among national leaders in multiple other categories.
• Narrow wins this season over Carnegie Mellon University (58-57), Case Western Reserve University (73-65), and the University of Chicago (57-52)

Violets to Watch:

• Caroline Peper (Sr., G): 18.5 PPG, 3.5 APG, 2.7 SPG; 108 made 3-pointers (2nd nationally)
• Brooke Batchelor (Jr., G): 13.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 2.6 APG, 2.8 SPG
• Zahra Alexander (So., G): 12.3 PPG, 54.4 FG%, 48.8 3PT%
• Yasmine Clark (Jr., F): 7.6 PPG, 10.4 RPG
• Alla Kaibara (Fr., G): 10.1 PPG, 13 double-digit games

• Scranton holds a 2–4 all-time record against the Violets, with the most recent matchup coming in 2024 when NYU earned a 68–46 victory in the Elite Eight.