Bank it! Jenne’s three at the buzzer completes improbable comeback for South Brunswick over Monroe in CJ4 girls’ quarterfinals

She wasn’t the first option, but she was open. And she hit it.

Junior Avery Jenne banked in a three-ball from the right of the key as time expired in Monroe Monday night to finish off a long comeback in the Central Jersey Group 4 quarterfinals, as 6th-seed South Brunswick topped the 3rd-seeded Falcons 46-43, in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

But to anyone who watched most of the first half, few – except maybe the South Brunswick roster and coaches – probably thought it would come down to that.

Monroe raced out to an 8-0 lead. The Falcons led by 16 at one point in the second quarter. South Brunswick’s Alexis Lease-Springer was held scoreless in the first half, and was in and out of the game with two, then three first half fouls.

It wasn’t looking good.

But she only got called for one more the rest of the game, and scored 10 second half points – five in each quarter – to help the Vikings pull closer and closer, basket by basket.

They got it to six just a couple minutes into the third. Down to four with 2:19 left in the third. Then they got to within three – a one-possession game – with 2:37 to go.

With 1:10 left, Evangeline Francisco hit one of two free throws to make it 42-40 after South Brunswick got it to one just 25 seconds earlier.

Eventually, South Brunswick tied it at 43 with 26 seconds left, then got a steal, and coach Ryan Murphy called a timeout with 4.5 seconds to go to draw up a play.

The plan was to go to Lease-Springer, but she wasn’t open. So it went to Jenne, who threw up a good shot, and somehow, it kissed off the glass and went straight down.

For South Brunswick, it was “survive and advance.” The Vikings will play the winner of 10-seed Middletown South and 2-seed Howell Wednesday night, at the site of the higher seed.