Long Island hoopster keeping family college basketball legacy alive

Gianna Santacroce was the last Southold girls basketball player to take her talents to college back in 2021 — until her little sister, Francesca, just committed to play for the same university, Ave Maria.

“When I was being recruited and they found out that my sister played there, they were like, ‘Oh, we want you here 100 percent. We want this legacy to continue,’ ” Francesca told The Post.

“They even asked, ‘Are there any younger of you?’ ” added the senior star point guard on Greenport-Southold’s joint team.

While Francesca is the youngest, athletic skills are certainly in the family blood beyond Gianna, who just finished her four years on the court at Ave Maria last season as a small forward.

Their older brother, Kevin, was a quarterback on Pace University’s football team in 2016, and the eldest Santacroce sister, Melina, also played hoops as a forward for Misericordia University from 2019 to 2023.

“Growing up, playing collegiate sports, that was the expectation, that was the goal. … It felt like I had to do it, but also like I wanted to do it,” said Francesca, who also plays soccer on the North Fork.

“I would go out and watch all their games, even though I was younger. We still go out and shoot around on the driveway together, even though everyone is older. … My sisters and I just won an adult league too.”

A giant fork in the road

Francesca said being noticed as a promising basketball player on the east end was a massive challenge.

She stressed that the small schools east of the Long Island Expressway — Greenport has just over 300 kids from seventh through 12th grade — can become out of sight, out of mind for recruiters.

The ball-moving standout is the only senior on the combined team from the two schools and is one of only four athletes currently committed from Southold.

“It takes about an hour to get to any training facility for basketball,” she said.

“It’s a lot of commitment. … and a lot of people aren’t able to get a ride that they need or have the time in their day.”

Francesca’s parents, Kevin and Linda, were more than happy to pull out all the stops to ensure she was visible to colleges. 

“They made so many sacrifices,” she said, adding that mom and dad drove her to and from faraway training sessions and travel games — along with forgoing winter family vacations.

“But when you get here and get this moment, it makes it all worth it.”

Double dribble

Gianna also struggled to find a rhythm during her high school tenure, bouncing among several competitive schools up-island before ultimately spending her senior season with the Porters.

“She was thrown into a really rough situation. … It was hard for her, but she still made it out,” said Francesca, who wants to major in business, similar to Gianna’s pursuit of a finance degree.

“I always looked up to her because she always took what she got, and she gave it her all. … I’m just so proud of her and how far she’s made it.”

Gianna passed her mental mindset down to Francesca, who was fortunate enough to start on the same varsity team all four years of high school.

“We have different games, but both have the same mental grit, competitiveness and wanting to win,” Francesca said.

“She was so excited that I’m going to the same school as her, and I can’t wait for the future,” added the little sister, who dropped her first 30-point game in the Porters’ 55-36 opening win over Miller Place.

There’s still one more task at hand before changing uniforms in 2026, said Francesca, who was on the Porters’ 2023 team that fell 41-33 in the Suffolk finals to Center Moriches.

“I want to win a championship,” she said. “I want to go out with a bang.”