Lauber, Taylor, Somerville defense get the better of Bound Brook; Pioneers remain atop Mountain

In a battle of thew top two teams in the Skyland Conference Mountain Division, the ninth-ranked Somerville girls’ basketball team topped tenth-ranked Bound Brook on the road Saturday, beating the Crusaders 36-28 in a low-scoring affair heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

Sophomore Kaylee Lauber finished well over her season average of 13.5 points per game, tallying 19 by the time all was said and done. And junior Charlotte Taylor had 11, including 5-of-8 from the foul line in the fourth quarter, as Bound Brook sent her there to try and get back in the game.

After The Brook took a 2-0 lead, The ‘Ville went on a 9-0 run to go up by seven, but the Crusaders got back into it, and it stayed tight throughout: Bound Brook led by just one point at the half, and heading into the final quarter.

But the Somerville defense was just a little better, tipping passes and picking the ball away from Bound Brook. Lauber had a key stretch in the fourth with a three and a two-point basket that put her team up, with Taylor eventually salting it away from the line.

Somerville improves to 9-1 with the win, 4-0 in the Skyland Mountain Division. Bound Brook drops to 7-2 overall, 4-2 in the division. The two will rematch February 1st at Somerville.

The win was also the 150th for Pioneers’ head coach Matt Melesurgo, who is now 150-58 in his ninth season at the helm.

Click below for postgame reaction with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko, presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen!