Justin Girls Bounced from Tourney after Loss to Branson

KENTFIELD -- Little is more difficult than sweeping a season series from any good team in any sport. It is not, however, impossible.

Jenna Harris hit a 3-point shot at the final buzzer Saturday night as Branson's girls basketball team defeated , 43-42, for the third.time this season. The defeat eliminated the Braves from the North Coast Section Division IV.

Branson, the Marin County Athletic League champion, defeated rival Justin-Siena twice during the league season. The Bulls beat the Braves at home, 53-36, to open the regular season. The Braves also fell in Napa, 52-36.

Justin-Siena finishes the season 23-7, after going 12-3 in the MCAL. Branson advances in the section tournament with a 26-5 mark. The Bulls were 14-1 in the Marin County Athletic League.

In the early afternoon following Saturday night's gut-wrenching defeat, Justin-Siena head coach Mike Boles made it clear that his team's season won't be defined by North Coast Section loss.

"In years to come, we won't even remember the final score of Saturday's game," Boles said at the Justin-Siena winter sports award luncheon on Sunday in the school's Clark Gymnasium. "It was a tough loss, but we'll have the memories from this season and this team with us for a lifetime."

Boles spoke glowingly of seniors Hailey Breakwell, Teal Geyer, Chelsea Lazzari, Jenna Joske and Katherine Lee before a capacity crowd on Sunday.

"Having a quality group of senior players, who are fine people, makes it all even more special for us," Boles said.

On Saturday night, Justin-Siena led 42-40 when Branson took a timeout with 13 seconds left in regulation play. After the Bulls inbounded the ball, the Braves' defense held until Harris caught a pass and pulled the trigger on the game-winner.

Branson's Lia Coito was the intended shooter on the final play, but she slipped running a pattern in an attempt to get free of the Justin-Siena defense. The play was designed to have Coito freed by screens at the top of the key, but she lost her balance.

Justin-Siena led by six points with two minutes to play and held a five-point edge with less than a minute to go. Lucy Briggs drained a 3-point shot for Branson to set up the game-winner by Harris.

Briggs led the Bulls with 20 points. Harris finished with 12 points.

Lee, a star guard who missed all of her junior season after knee surgery, paced Justin-Siena with 20 points. Lee scored, was fouled and made a free throw to gives the Braves the lead in the third quarter.

Freshman Haley Cremen, who made a crucial 3-point shot as the Braves built the six-point lead, finished the game with seven points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots.

Branson will play No. 1 seed St. Mary's in Berkeley on Wednesday.