JERSEY SHORE — Janel Eck missed practice time earlier this week, battling ankle and toe injuries. But missing Thursday’s game against Montoursville never crossed her mind.

The senior knows she only has so many high school games left. It is going to take a lot more than some pain to keep her off the court. And just imagine what she would have missed Thursday if she was not so tough.

Eck scored nine fourth-quarter points, converted a go-ahead 3-point play with 53 seconds remaining and made a potential last-second, game-saving block as Jersey Shore won a 54-50 thriller against rival Montoursville. Eck also made three straight free throws in the final minute, grabbed four fourth-quarter rebounds and helped the Bulldogs (5-2) win a sensational game that featured eight fourth-quarter lead changes, including four in the last two minutes.

“She didn’t practice this week so I was pretty worried about her, but she did gut out a performance where she didn’t start. She always seems to be in the right place at the right time and you can’t really coach that,” Jersey Shore coach Darrin Bischof said. “I can’t be more happy for her. She’s a senior and she kind of waited for her time last year so I was very impressed by her play.”

“I was pretty concerned I might not play, but our trainer said if I felt like I could play I could go in and I wanted to play,” Eck said. “I don’t want to miss out on anything because I knew this was a big game and I wanted to help my team out.”

Hannah Kauffman played a super all-around game, scoring 23 points and making nine steals. Averie Hess (13 points, five rebounds, five steals) was a difference-maker, too, and Jersey Shore continued winning the close games that pushed it to the Class AAAA state tournament last year. Still, had Hess not played through her pain, Montoursville (3-7) would have the team celebrating a big win.

Montoursville — playing without injured three-year starter Lauren O’Malley who broke her hand last week — erased a 12-point third-quarter deficit and went up for the last time when freshman MacKenzie Weaver sank a 3-pointer that made it 48-46 with 70 seconds remaining. That was when Eck went into overdrive. She scored off a putback on the ensuing possession before converting the go-ahead free throw. Seconds later, Eck made maybe the game’s biggest play, blocking what looked like a sure Lydia Albert layup.

Eck protected the lead, then extended it, hitting both ends of a 1-and-1 that put Jersey Shore ahead, 51-48. Albert made it a one-point game with 32 seconds left and Weaver nearly made another go-ahead 3-pointer at the 20-second mark. Kauffman chased down the long rebound, sprinted upcourt, made the layup drew a foul and then hit the game-clinching foul shot that gave Jersey Shore its 54-50 lead. Eck finished the fourth quarter, going 6 for 6 from the field and at the foul line, while adding a steal and delivering her most memorable performance.

“It was really exciting. I’m ecstatic,” Eck said. “Whenever it’s really close like that it’s kind of nervewracking, but when you’re out on the court you’re not thinking about that. You’re just thinking about where to be and how to get open and things like that.”

With O’Malley sidelined, Montoursville has only two players with limited varsity starting experience. Combine that with facing a 12-point deficit and the Warriors easily could have buckled. Instead, they came roaring back as five players scored at least seven points and took turns making key shots and/or plays. Montoursville cut the lead to three by the end of the third quarter, then took its first lead since early in the game when Albert scored on a drive two minutes into the fourth.

That was when the game went into heavyweight fight-mode as both teams kept landing potential haymakers before the other fought off the ropes. Albert, Rebecca Reeder and Weaver hit go-ahead shots from that point on and Shelby Kurtz finished with 12 points and six rebounds.

“I told them before the game let it loose and just play all-out. Give everything you have and if that’s not good enough at the end of the game then we can live with that and they gave it every ounce of energy they had,” Montoursville coach Jon Weaver said. “You couldn’t ask them to show more heart than they did and play any harder than they did.”

Montoursville showed why it remains dangerous throughout its comeback. After losing 21 first-half turnovers, Montoursville protected the ball better over the last two quarters and effectively ran its offense. The Warriors made 7 of 10 fourth-quarter shots and did a lot of damage inside. Extra encouraging for them is that several of the less experienced players kept sparking the comeback.

Albert finished with 12 points, four assists and two steals while Reeder (6 rebounds) scored six of her 10 points in the fourth quarter. Allyse Marchioni added nine points, five assists and four rebounds and went coast to coast for a layup that put Montoursville ahead 45-43 with 2:20 remaining.

“If we eliminate the turnovers I like our chances,” Weaver said. “I can’t put a price tag on their effort, their heart and their desire.”

Neither can Bischof.

Jersey Shore never flinched after its lead disappeared. Kauffman and Hess helped build that 12-point lead and others like Eck, Baleigh Lorson and Haley Stetts, to name a few, helped get it back. Lorson made two big steals in the final two minutes and Stetts threw a nifty pass that led to a go-ahead Eck basket at the 3-minute mark. Stetts also added three steals.

“We just need to grow as a team and it’s coming,” Bischof said. “With our youth and inexperience I knew we were going to have games like this, but the bottom line is when you win games like this, it’s going to make you a better team.”

Montoursville (50)

Shelby Kurtz 4 4-6 12, Allyse Marchioni 4 0-0 9, Lydia Albert 4 3-4 12, Rebecca Reeder 4 2-4 10, MacKenzie Weaver 2 2-2 7, Kaitlyn Dawes 0 0-0 0, Toni James 0 0-0 0, Mackenzie Cohick 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 11-16 50.

Jersey Shore (54)

Hannah Kauffman 8 6-7 23, Averie Hess 4 5-7 13, Janel Eck 3 3-3 9, Sadie Griswold 0 0-0 0, Baleigh Lorson 1 0-1 2, Aubrey Stetts 2 0-0 4, Haley Stetts 1 1-2 3, Reba Lorson 0 0-0 0, Brielle Hess 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 14-20 54.

Montoursville 10 7 17 16–50

Jersey Shore 15 10 12 17–54

3-point goals: Montoursville 3 (Marchioni 1, Albert 1, Weaver 1); Jersey Shore 1 (Kauffman 1).

Records: Jersey Shore (5-2), Montoursville (3-7).