David topples Goliath: Division III Scranton upsets ACC's Pitt

Heading into the University of Scranton’s exhibition game against the University of Pittsburgh on Sunday, the NCAA Division III Royals were given a minuscule 0.1 percent shot at victory against a D-I program from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).  

But, perhaps heeding the memorable words of Lloyd Christmas from the hilarious 1994 comedy “Dumb and Dumber,” all the Lady Royals had to think was, “So, you’re telling me there’s a chance.”  

In one of the most memorable upsets in recent college basketball history, little D-III Scranton fired the slingshot, smacking mighty Pitt right between the eyes, knocking off the Panthers 69-63. Only 638 fans witnessed the shocker live inside Pitt’s Petersen Events Center, thinking the Panthers would, in typical D-I major conference fashion, demolish an inferior opponent.

But it would be Scranton’s time to shine — and make history.

How did Scranton do it? 

While most major conference schools will host a D-III team on its schedule early in the season, many of the games tend to be lopsided blowouts. Sure, the smaller, outmanned D-III unit might stick around for a quarter or two, but usually the much larger, more talented D-I program reaches a point where it inflicts its will upon the lesser opponent by the third quarter, thus marching to a 30- or 40-point victory.

However, on Sunday, the Lady Royals brought the fight to Pitt from the opening tip, cruising to a 37-27 halftime lead.

Senior Elizabeth Bennett, a 5-foot-11 center, came off the bench and led Scranton with 15 points. The Staten Island, New York, native shot 3-of-4 from the three-point line and grabbed five rebounds. In all, four Lady Royals finished in double figures: Sophia Talutto had 14 points, followed by Katie Gorski (11 points, 10 rebounds) and Meghan Lamanna (11 points). Kaeli Romanowski chipped in with nine points and eight rebounds.

Pitt, with nervousness setting in, went on a run in the third quarter, but Scranton countered, outscoring the Panthers 25-13 in the fourth to ice the game.

Sunday’s unlikely victory was a moment Scranton’s players will probably recall for the rest of their lives. Bennett looked back on the experience in an interview with Royal News, the university’s newspaper.

“We checked our phones after the game and all had gotten so many texts, videos and pictures from everyone watching the game at their houses and in their dorms,” Bennett said. “Everybody’s talking about it on social media. We feel an immense amount of support from everybody at Scranton, including our professors, who have been reaching out and congratulating us.

“Sunday was a confidence booster. We have confidence in ourselves — and we should have confidence in ourselves. We can achieve big things if we put our minds to it.”

No kidding.

For the record, Scranton’s program is no slouch. The Lady Royals are ranked No. 2 in D-III and are off to a 3-0 start to the season. Pitt, however, is coming off a frustrating 13-19 campaign last season, limping to a 5-13 mark in the ACC.

No doubt Sunday’s huge upset was a wake-up call for the Panthers, but it was also a rare moment in the sun for an overlooked D-III juggernaut.