Agape Freedom Sports LLC

Written by: Jeric Yurkanin

Penn State Harrisburg came out swinging defensively in a true David-vs.-Goliath matchup. With the University of Scranton entering undefeated at 10-0, the Lions held the Lady Royals scoreless for the first two minutes.

But Scranton eventually settled in, found its rhythm, and used a quick run to grab a 7-2 lead with 6:42 remaining in the opening quarter — capped by a free throw at the line. Harrisburg actually struck first on the stat sheet when Mikayla Coleman knocked down a jumper, and the Lions kept battling with energy on the glass early. Scranton answered with pressure and pace, and the Royals’ defense began creating problems in the open floor — including a midcourt takeaway by Dunmore native freshman Sophia Talutto that led to a fast-break finish plus the foul, pushing the lead to 15-2.

Even with Scranton turning up the heat, Penn State Harrisburg kept competing. Coleman came up wwith a steal of her own, and the Lions forced a few empty possessions before Scranton’s Katie Gorski attacked downhill for a driving layup off a Jenna Sloan assist. Scranton’s activity was relentless: Meghan Lamanna jumped a passing lane for a steal, Kaeli Romanowski picked up one as well, and Talutto added another steal before finishing a layup with Kaitlyn Raguso credited with the assist to make it 21-7 late in the quarter. Harrisburg got a needed response from Lauren Moffatt, who scored inside and fought for multiple offensive boards to keep possessions alive — helping the Lions trim the gap to 19-7 after Scranton’s early surge. At the end of first score was University of Scranton 23 Penn State Harrisburg 7. 

If the first quarter was Scranton setting the tone, the second quarter was the Lady Royals slamming the door.

Scranton’s full-court pressure turned the game into a track meet — and Penn State Harrisburg couldn’t get a clean breath. The Royals forced turnover after turnover, jumped passing lanes, and converted those mistakes into instant points. Dunmore native freshman Sophia Talutto continued to be the headliner on the defensive end, adding multiple steals in the quarter and constantly igniting the break. With 2:33 left in the half, Talutto came up with yet another takeaway (her 6th steal) and then calmly knocked down a free throw to give her 10 points as Scranton’s lead continued to balloon.

The Royals weren’t just creating chaos — they were cashing it in. Kaeli Romanowski finished a layup during the surge, and Scranton kept attacking downhill and earning trips to the line, including key free throws from Kaci Kranson (who hit a free throw to reach 12 points late in the quarter). Scranton’s depth kept rolling too, as the Royals got scoring from multiple spots while the defense never let up.

The final minute summed up the half perfectly: Scranton forced another turnover, then Elizabeth Bennett capped the quarter with a layup (assist Gabriella Murphy) with 0:38 remaining — pushing the Royals into a dominant 49-8 halftime lead.

And the numbers told the story: Scranton shot 17-of-33 (51.5%) in the first half while Penn State Harrisburg managed just 3-of-19 (15.8%). The Lions were buried by 24 turnovers, and Scranton made them pay with 34 points off turnovers, 21 fastbreak points, and a 19–3 advantage in steals. Even with rebounds tied 17-17, Scranton’s pressure and pace completely controlled the half, with the Royals owning the paint (28-2 points in the paint) and piling up 14 assists to Harrisburg’s 1.

Scranton won the second quarter 28-1 — and by halftime, it was all Royals.

3rd quarter 6:57 left Penn State Finally score and hit a 3 pointer. 

Coming out of halftime up 49-8, Scranton stayed in control — and wasted no time reminding Penn State Harrisburg why the Lady Royals were unbeaten. Early in the third, Scranton pushed the margin to its biggest of the day, building a 44-point lead at 52-8 with 7:14 remaining in the quarter.

But by the midpoint of the third, with the game firmly in hand, Scranton began pulling most of its starters and letting the bench take over. That shift changed the flow. Penn State Harrisburg finally found a little breathing room, played with more composure, and started getting cleaner looks — including two made three-pointers in the quarter — helping the Lions outscore Scranton 11-10 in the third.

Even with the pace slowing, Scranton’s identity never changed: pressure, depth, and defense creating offense. Through three quarters, the Royals had already piled up 21 steals, forced 27 turnovers, and turned those miscues into 37 points off turnovers, while also owning the transition game with 23 fastbreak points. And the bench impact was real — Scranton had 22 bench points by the end of the third, showing just how deep and dangerous this roster is.

Heading into the fourth, Scranton still held a commanding 59-19 lead, with the outcome decided — but the intensity, pressure, and system still obvious even after the starters took their seats.

With Scranton up 59-19 entering the fourth, the Lady Royals emptied the bench — but the pressure and pace never really changed. Marisa Francione opened the quarter by drilling a 3-pointer at 9:39 (assist Elyse Montgomery) to make it 62-19, and the reserves continued to create offense with defense. Natalie Stoupakis jumped a passing lane for a steal, Lizzie Halligan knocked down a three midway through the quarter, and Francione stayed hot by converting a fastbreak layup (assist Selena Cieszko) before burying another three at 3:51 (assist Stoupakis) as Scranton stretched it to 70-21.

The Royals’ bench kept attacking in transition late — Cieszko cashed two fastbreak free throws at 2:36, and Halligan finished a fastbreak layup after a steal to make it 74-23. Penn State Harrisburg kept competing to the horn, getting late points at the line and a Brookelynn Carr three with :57 left to close the scoring.

Final

University of Scranton 74, Penn State Harrisburg 28

Scranton controlled the game from the opening quarter and never let the Lions find a rhythm, winning each period 23-7, 26-1, 10-11, 15-9. The Lady Royals were led by Katie Gorski (20 points) and Holy Cross High School product Kaci Kranson finished with 15 points, while Sophia Talutto stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, 6 steals, and 4 assists. Francione added 8 points off the bench, and Scranton’s defense dictated the story all afternoon — finishing with 26 steals and 7 blocks as the undefeated Royals rolled to another dominant win.