"It's not an issue," said Torres, whose maiden name was Shriner when she played for Jefferson in the mid-1980s. "It's fun because it's my alma mater but, for the first time, I'll be rooting against them. After 20-plus years, it's different."
Top-seeded Chatham and fourth-seeded Morris Catholic will meet in the other semifinal at 7:30 p.m. at the same site in a rematch of last year's final. The Crusaders claimed their eighth MCT title, beating the Cougars by two, 32-30.
For Torres, there were no mixed feelings when it came to choosing sides. The fourth-year coach, who played guard for the Falcons, is devoted to Randolph (16-6).
One of her former high school teammates, Nancy (Zimlinghaus) Harris, is a Jefferson assistant coach.
Torres' players have inquired if she still has her varsity jacket. She does and may bring it to the semifinal.
Randolph already has played Jefferson (20-1) this season, losing 59-53 in the final of the Mountain Lakes Holiday Tournament.
Important lessons were learned from that game like how important it is to limit the Falcons' high-scoring trio of Sammy Lapszynski, Kristen Flaherty and Kristen Swerzenski. In addition, Imani Brown and Lauren Ferguson can score.
"We have to make sure we handle the big scorers," Torres said. "We have to mix up our defenses more."
The Rams possess scoring power in the form of sophomore guard Aliyah Huland El and senior forward Taylor Lusardi. Huland El averages 17 points while Lusardi averages 10.
Senior Ali MacKay is excited to be in the Final Four as a player, not a spectator.
Third-seeded Jefferson will be appearing in the MCT semifinals for the second time in three years. The Falcons, riding a 20-game winning streak, are formidable inside with Lapszynski and Swerzenski. Flaherty is a dangerous 3-point threat.
"We want to finish strong," Flaherty said. "We're focused. We work together as a team."
Chatham (21-1) is seeking its first MCT title and is fueled by senior guard Amanda Berntsen. The rest of the Cougars' starting five - Kendall Davies, Grace Conroy, Sam Kennedy and Lauren Winschuh - are capable of scoring as well.
The Crusaders (18-2) have four starters back from last year's squad so they're plenty experienced.
Sophomore Alexa Giuliano, a first-year starter, has emerged as the leading scorer. Jess Porada and Sade Idera take care of the bulk of the rebounding.
