When you meet Jasanii Francis Torres, you know right away that she is a confident and determined young woman. Francis Torres came to Albany High School this past August for her senior year, and she has proven herself to be a quintessential student-athlete, excelling in the classroom and on the courts.
On Friday night, she'll help lead the girls' basketball team into a highly anticipated Section 2 Class AAA semifinal matchup with Colonie at Hudson Valley Community College. Game time is 6 p.m.
Let's get to know a little more about the Falcons' leading scorer.
Francis Torres grew up in Kingston and first took the court in fifth grade when she joined a CYO basketball team. She immediately fell in love with the sport.
Being tall for her age, Francis Torres jumped in with confidence, knowing her height would give her a competitive edge. While playing defense came naturally, developing sport-specific skills such as dribbling and shooting required patience, practice and guiding support from her coaches through her elementary and middle school years.
When the pandemic hit, Francis Torres stopped playing sports for a bit, and as she entered ninth grade in Kingston she was ready to call it quits on the court. Like many of her peers, Francis Torres struggled with isolation during quarantine, so getting back in the game was intimidating.
However, when one of the basketball coaches urged her to try out, Francis Torres took the plunge and never looked back.
When she arrived at Albany High, Francis Torres already had some connections with the girls' basketball team and assistant coach Antwan Morrison through AAU travel basketball. While she was nervous about being a new student in a big school, having those connections helped facilitate a smooth transition.
Being cognizant of the stigma that can exist with talented athletes solely focusing on sports, Francis Torres committed herself to doing well academically and athletically. Both in the fall (as a member of the volleyball team) and winter seasons, she earned the individual scholar-athlete award from the New York State Public High School Athletic Association!
Francis Torres felt right at home when basketball season began last November.
“The Albany High basketball program is a great program to be a part of," she said. "It’s more than a team. It’s a family.”
Falcons head coach Decky Lawson and Morrison have been incredibly supportive, motivating Francis Torres to be the best version of herself both on and off the court. Recognizing Francis Torres needed to shift positions if she wanted to play college ball, the coaches pushed her to master the shooting guard position, which she has excelled at this season.
She leads the team in scoring at 15 points per game. In Albany High's win over Saratoga Springs in the Class AAA quarterfinals Feb. 26, Francis Torres hit four 3-pointers and led the team with 23 points.
Francis Torres has committed to playing Division II basketball next year at The College of Staten Island. She plans to major in psychology and pursue a career in social work.
As she prepares to take the court with her teammates Friday to face off against Colonie, Francis Torres is excited. The game represents a matchup of two of the top teams in the state -- Colonie is No. 14 in Class AAA, and the Falcons are No. 21 -- and the winners of the last three Section 2 titles (Albany High in 2022-23 and the Wolf Pack last year).
The Falcons (17-4) dropped a hard-fought game at Colonie (15-5) during the regular season.
“If we go in strong, I feel like we can definitely win," Francis Torres said. "We just have to show up and don’t step off the pedal.”
Come cheer on Francis Torres and her fellow Falcons on Friday evening. Tickets must be purchased via the Go Fan website.
