Scranton’s Kaci Kranson, left, fights through defense of Johns Hopkins’ Greta Miller at the University of Scranton’s Long Center Friday, March 14, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Scranton’s Kaeli Romanowski shoots a 3-pointer against Mount Saint Mary in the first round of the NCAA Division III women’s basketball tournament Friday at the John Long Center in Scranton. (TIM DREWES / COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF SCRANTON)
Lycoming College’s Hayden Pardoe defends the University of Scranton’s Ben Robinson during the basketball game at the University of Scranton on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
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Scranton’s Kaci Kranson, left, fights through defense of Johns Hopkins’ Greta Miller at the University of Scranton’s Long Center Friday, March 14, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
After winning its 11th straight Landmark Conference title and 14th overall, the undefeated University of Scranton women’s basketball team reap the rewards Wednesday by sweeping the major postseason awards.
For the second consecutive season, senior Kaci Kranson was named the league’s Player of the Year. Senior Kaeli Romanowski was selected Defensive Player of the Year, freshman Sophia Talutto was chosen Rookie of the Year, while Ben O’Brien and his assistants were tabbed Coaching Staff of the Year.
Kranson, a Holy Cross graduate, led the conference in scoring (18.7 points), field-goal percentage (.524, 189-361) and 3-point field-goal percentage (.429, 42-98). She added 5.5 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.2 assists. With 1,922 career points, she is the conference’s all-time leading scorer, surpassing former Scranton standout Meredith Mesaris.
Romanowski is the Defensive Player of the Year for the second time (2024) and a big reason why the Lady Royals lead Division III in scoring defense, allowing just 42.1 points. The Western Wayne grad led the conference with 104 steals (3.9 per game), which is a conference single-season record and ranks eighth in Division III. She also averages 5.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and has a league-best 116 assists. Her assists-to-turnover ratio of 3.74 is second in the league and third in the nation behind teammate Jenna Sloan (12.14).
Talutto, a Dunmore graduate, is the third Scranton player in the last four years to earn Rookie of the Year honors; Kranson was chosen in 2023 and Meghan Lamanna in 2024. Talutto has appeared in all 27 games and averages 7.3 points, 1,6 rebounds and 2.1 steals. Her 58 steals rank third in the conference.
O’Brien, in his fourth season, has a career record of 112-6. Along with assistants Hannah Angelini, Tom Kosin and Erica Haefele, the Lady Royals went 18-0 in the conference are 27-0 overall — one of three undefeated teams remaining in Division III. Besides leading the nation in defense, they are third in offense at 80.9 points, first in scoring margin at 38.7 points and top-five in several other statistical categories.
In addition to their major awards, Kranson and Romanowski were first-team all-Landmark selections. This is the fourth time on the first team for Kranson, while Romanowski was a first-teamer in 2024 and a second-teamer in 2025.
Among the other first-team selections is Catholic University senior and Abington Heights graduate Anna Scoblick. This is Scoblick’s third consecutive season on the first team. Scoblick led the Lady Cardinals and ranked 10th in the conference with 11.5 points. She also had 5.4 rebounds, 88 assists and 41 steals. She finished her career with 1,181 points, which ranks 12th on the program scoring list.
Rounding out the first team are Elizabethtown senior Makenna Mummert and Susquehanna University seniors Julia Pinckert and Julia Roth.
Three Lady Royals made the all-Landmark second team: juniors Elizabeth Bennett, Katie Gorski and Meghan Lamanna. Bennett averages 12.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and has 31 blocks to earn a second-team spot for the second straight season. Gorski has a breakout year, posting career highs in points (11.0), rebounds (5.8), steals (41) and blocks (29) to receive all-conference honors for the first time. She also ranked third in the league in field-goal percentage (.515, 118-229). Lamanna also earned all-Landmark honors for the first time after averaging 10.3 points. She ranks ninth in Division III in 3-point field-goal percentage at .425 (57 for 134).
Also on the second team are Juniata College senior Bri Bodtorf, Moravian University junior Lizzie Lustig and Susquehanna senior Carly George. Honorable mentions are Catholic senior Amelia Kennedy, Drew University senior Gianna Pica and Elizabethtown senior Alliyan Kennedy.
On Friday night, the Lady Royals open play in the NCAA Division III tournament against Framingham State at 8:30 at the John Long Center. The other first-round game at 6 p.m. features Otterbein University and Randolph-Macon University. The two winners meet in the second round Saturday at 8:30 p.m.
Men’s
University of Scranton freshman Ben Robinson was named Landmark Conference Rookie of the Year on Wednesday.
Robinson, from Wayne and Conestoga High School, played in 26 games for 25 start for the Royals and averaged 6.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.0 steals to help the Royals go 19-7 this season. He is the second straight Scranton player to be named Rookie of the Year — Sammy Tornabene received the award last season — and fifth overall, joining Ross Danzig (2012), Logan Bailey (2019) and Will McLoughlin (2022).
Tornabene and senior Jon Spatola were selected to the all-Landmark second team. Tornabene led the team and tied for sixth in the conference in scoring with 17.8 points and also averaged a team-best 6.1 rebounds. Spatola averaged 1.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists. His 137 assists led the Landmark and tied for 23rd in Division III, while his 55 steals were third in the conference. For his career, he finished with 1,069 points; 487 rebounds; 405 assists, which is tied for ninth in program history; and 237 steals, which are second in program history behind Randy Arnold’s 252. It also is second in Landmark history behind Juniata’s Jeremy Hays (261). Spatola is the only player in Scranton history with 1,000+ career points, 400+ career rebounds, 400+ career assists and 200+ career steals.
Drew University junior and Valley View graduate Eli Yusavage also was chosen to the second team. It is his first all-Landmark selection. He led the Rangers and ranked ninth in the league with 16.9 points in 23 games and starts and was second on the team with 59 3-pointers and 55 assists. His 81.1 percent free-throw shooting (73 for 90) ranked eighth in the conference.
Elizabethtown junior Woody Machado, Juniata junior Ty Kocak and Susquehanna senior Brandon Lavitt round out the rest of the second team.
Catholic University seniors Brian Herbert and C.J. Ruoff headline the first team along with Drew senior David Musial, Elizabethtown senior and Dallas graduate Austin Finarelli, Moravian senior Marquis Ratcliff and Wilkes University senior Lucas Lesko. Seniors Colin Ackerman and Jack Argento of Wilkes are honorable mentions.
Ruoff was named Landmark Player of the Year, Musial was chosen Defensive Player of the Year and Catholic’s Aaron Kelly and assistants were selected Coaching Staff of the Year.