NCAA DIVISION III WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

FRAMINGHAM STATE (17-10) AT UNIVERSITY OF SCRANTON (27-0)

When: Friday, 8:30 p.m.

Where: John Long Center

Tickets: Available online at events.hometownticketing.com and typing Landmark Conference in the search bar. Fans are encourages to purchase in advance. Cash only will also be accepted at the door. Cost is $15 for adults, $10 for seniors, children and students with ID. Children 2 and under are free.

How they got here: Framingham State earned an automatic bid by winning the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference title. Scranton earned an automatic bid by capturing its 11th straight Landmark Conference title.

Up next: The winner advances to face the winner of Friday’s 6 p.m. first-round game at the Long Center between Otterbein University (22-5) and Randolph-Macon College (21-7) in the second round Saturday at 8:30 p.m. Otterbein won the Ohio Athletic Conference title for the first time and is making its second NCAA appearance. Randolph-Macon earned an at-large bid out of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference and is making its 14th NCAA appearance.

Players to watch: Framingham State – So. 5-11 F Faith Greene (16.5 points, 9.3 rebounds), So. 5-9 G Jacqueline Schels (15.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, 42 3-pointers, 83 assists, 47 steals), Sr. 5-8 G Kiara Cerruti (13.4 points, 53 3-pointers), Sr. 5-11 F Kelsey Yelle (7.8 points, 7.0 rebounds), Sr. 5-9 F Abigail Martin (7.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 93 assists), Jr. 5-7 G Ava McKeon (4.9 points).

Scranton -Sr. 5-11 G Kaci Kranson (18.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 42 3-pointers), 5-11 Jr. F Elizabeth Bennett (12.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 35 3-pointers, 31 blocks), Jr. 6-0 F Katie Gorski (11.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 40 steals, 29 blocks), Sr. 5-4 G Kaeli Romanowski (5.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 116 assists, 104 steals), 5-5 Jr. G Meghan Lamanna (10.3 points, 57 3-pointers).

Noteworthy: Scranton is 2-0 against Framingham State, including a 60-39 win in the NCAA first round in 2024. The other win came Nov. 16, 2001, in the season opener at the University of Rochester’s Chuck Resler Invitational, 91-65. … Framingham State is making its fourth NCAA appearance and is still looking for its first win. … Greene was named MASCAC Player of the Year and a first-team all-star after earning league Rookie of the Year honors last season. … Schels was selected first-team all-MASCAC and was MVP of the conference tournament. … The Rams average 73.4 points and allow 61.6 points. … Scranton is making its 38th NCAA appearance, the most in Division III women’s basketball. The Lady Royals have a 75-40 tournament record. … Kranson repeated as Landmark Conference Player of the Year. She has 1,922 career points, which ranks first in conference history and third in program history. … Romanowski was Landmark Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team all-star. Bennett, Gorski and Lamanna were second-team selections and freshman Sophia Talutto was Landmark Rookie of the Year. … The Lady Royals rank first in Division III in scoring defense (42.1 points), scoring margin (38.7 points) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.0); and second in scoring offense (80.9 points), field-goal percentage (45.8), assists per game (20.2) and turnovers per game (10.1). … Individually, Sr. 5-9 G Jenna Sloan leads the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (12.14) and Romanowski is third (3.74). Romanowski also is eighth in steals (104) and Lamanna is ninth in 3-point field-goal percentage (42.5).

— SCOTT WALSH