Elizabeth Bennett has always had the ability to score both inside and outside for the University of Scranton. Coach Ben O’Brien said this season the junior has improved her defense and rebounding.
Junior Elizabeth Bennett, right, waiting to check into a game with freshman Sophia Talutto from Dunmore, provides a spark off the bench for the undefeated University of Scranton women’s basketball team.
Elizabeth Bennett, University of Scranton women’s basketball
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Elizabeth Bennett has always had the ability to score both inside and outside for the University of Scranton. Coach Ben O’Brien said this season the junior has improved her defense and rebounding.
SCRANTON — Elizabeth Bennett likely could start for most teams. A 5-foot-11 player who can score both inside and from the outside.
Yet the junior from Staten Island, New York, is the first player off the bench for the undefeated University of Scranton women’s basketball team. It is a role she enjoys and in which she excels.
“We value every role on this team and I feel coming off the bench is still an important role,” Bennett said. “I like to see myself, when me and Sophia (Talutto) both go in, as a spark and bring a second wave of energy against our opponent.”
Bennett performed that role again for the undefeated Lady Royals as they opened the NCAA Division III tournament Friday night at the John Long Center against Framingham State. A victory would advance them to the second round Saturday at 8:30 p.m. at the Long Center against either Otterbein University or Randolph-Macon College.
After appearing in 14 games as a freshman, Bennett played in all 31 games last season as a sophomore with one start. She averaged 11.3 points and 3.6 rebounds to garner second-team all-Landmark Conference honors as well as d3hoops.com second-team All-Region.
Instead of moving into the starting lineup this season, however, Bennett continues to come in off the bench. In 27 games (one start), she is averaging 12.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and is third on the team with 35 3-pointers. Those numbers helped her receive second-team all-Landmark honors again.
“Super sub is not adequate enough to describe the impact that Liz has had on our team,” Scranton coach Ben O’Brien said. “With all her accomplishments, she still is very much team first. Asking her to come off the bench again this year after having an incredible sophomore year wasn’t easy. But she has handled it incredibly well and has been a huge reason why we’ve been as good as we have been. The spark that she provides off the bench is incredible. It’s been really good for us.”
Defense and rebounding have been the biggest areas of improvement from last season for Bennett, according to O’Brien. A team-high 31 blocks helps support that.
“She’s always been able to put the ball in the basket,” O’Brien said. “Really, from the time she stepped on campus, she’s just been a shot maker, both inside and out. But over time, she’s gotten stronger and better defensively and I think that’s been the biggest difference for her.”
Having Tom Kosin as an assistant coach has helped Bennett.
When Kosin played at Scranton, he was an All-American as a junior. Then Billy Bessoir transferred into the school and Kosin found himself coming off the bench as sixth man as a senior. He embraced the role and helped the Royals win the 1983 national championship.
O’Brien said Kosin’s story has been shared with all the players when talking about the importance of everyone’s role. But it especially hits close with Bennett.
They sit next to each other on the Lady Royals bench. Mostly they talk about in-game adjustments and simply providing a lift for the team. He said she doesn’t need his help.
“She’s an amazing player who’s worked very hard and has improved immensely,” Kosin said.
“I’ve never seen her shoulders shrink. I see a person who is ready to be a teammate. We talk about (being) a spark and picking up the energy. Don’t give the (other) team a break when you come in. You spark us. And that’s what she does.”
Being able to tap into Kosin’s experience has been beneficial, Bennett said.
“He has a lot of advice and knowledge to give because he has been in our position before,” she said. “Coach Tom is great. Especially me as a post player, he gives me a lot of help, information and support, especially since I sit right next to him on the bench. It’s nice to hear what he has to say and see what he’s seeing. It’s very helpful.”
With Kaci Kranson, Katie Gorski and Bennett at the forward and center positions, O’Brien has the luxury of rotating three all-conference and All-American-caliber players and keeping them fresh. That has been a key to the Lady Royals’ success thus far and one they hope will help them reach their ultimate goal.
“This my third year and my first two years we’ve made it to the Elite Eight,” Bennett said. “But we’re hungry for something more. We have high expectations and are really going to get after it to make it deep into the tournament.”