Gainesville, FL

Malanie Francis is taking her talents from Santa Fe to the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff. Francis comes from Mandeville, Jamaica, and spent her time in high school at Manchester and Springstead High Schools. Academically, Francis intends to pursue nursing as her major.

Standing at 6'5, Francis played in 35 games for the Saints at center. From her freshman to her sophomore season, Francis displayed growth both as a teammate and player. In her 18 games and 9 starts under head coach David Lowery, Francis collected 46 more rebounds, improved her shooting from 38.1% to 59.6%, and scored 42 more points. She posted a career-best 12 rebounds against Wayne Community College in a 94-35 victory.

As a student, Francis proved herself as a fantastic student. In her last three semesters, Francis earned All-Saints Academic Team Honors. She continued a strong academic career from her high school years, in which she was recognized by the Hernando Sun for her outstanding play and achievement.

In the coming season, Francis will be joining a UAPB Golden Lions team that showed potential in the 2025-26 season. The team won six of their final eight games, competing in the SWAC Pepsi Tournament. Under the leadership of head coach Erica Leak, Francis will look to continue her ascension as both a student and athlete in her upcoming time at UAPB.