Getty Image
The Scranton Lady Royals are one of the best Division 3 women’s basketball programs in the sport’s history. They won a national title in 1985, and have eight other appearances in the D3 Final Four.
But on Sunday, the Lady Royals picked up perhaps the biggest win in the history of their program when they knocked off Division I Pitt, 69-63. The Panthers, who play in the ACC, were 2-1 on the season entering the game with victories over Cornell and Mount St. Mary’s, both Division I foes.
While it was classified as an exhibition (much like another recent massive college sports upset), because the Lady Royals have not yet begun their official season, Scranton led through both the first quarter and at the half before Pitt responded with a run in the third quarter to take a 50-44 lead into the final quarter.
However, according to D3Hoops.com, the second-ranked Lady Royals held the Panthers to one field goal over five minutes and regained the lead at 55-53 mid-way through the final frame.
A pair of 3-pointers from Sophia Talutto and Meghan Lamanna extended the Royals’ lead to six late in the game, and while the Panthers clawed back within two, they were never able to pull equal or regain the lead.
Scranton outscored Pitt 25-13 in the final quarter to pick up the victory. And while the Lady Royals are a powerhouse on their level, it’s important to remember that Division III schools do not offer athletic scholarships, while Pitt plays in one of the strongest women’s basketball conferences in the country.
Amid a ton of jokes about The Office, which is based in Scranton, there were also several Pitt fans furious with the embarrassing loss.
GET RID OF VERDI ALREADY HE RAN HIS BEST PLAYER RIGHT OUT OF THERE BECAUSE OF STUFF LIKE THIS…. @AislinMalcolm is Averaging 19.0 PPG BECAUSE SHES BEING USED CORRECTLY At RMU
@CoachVerdiPitt RESIGN NOW https://t.co/uAWBd4129q
— Dain Andrews (@dain_andrews) November 16, 2025
“Why are we even wasting money on a Women’s Hoop Program at this point?” one fan asked. “They have been terrible every year of existence outside of 4 years in the mid-2000s and 2014-2015. Send that money to Volleyball or something.”
To that fan’s credit, he’s not wrong.
The Panthers are in their 45th season of women’s college basketball and have made the NCAA Tournament just four times. They’ve never advanced beyond the Sweet 16 and have only finished one season ranked in the AP Top 25.
Who knows, maybe they should try going D3 and let the Lady Royals play Division I for a few years to see if they can do any better?