Tag: Chris Nevolo

Somerville’s big fourth quarter, LaCanna’s dagger three, powers Pioneers to victory at Bound Brook

For about 85 percent of the game, Bound Brook was in the lead. The Crusaders stormed out of the gate to an 8-0 lead before Brady Scheier got Somerville on the board with a triple.

From that point, no one led by more than five until the fourth quarter, when the Pioneers started to pull away, first with a dagger triple by Tim LaCanna, then after a flop warning issued on Bound Brook that led to a long discussion, then a technical on Brook coach Anthony Melesurgo, and another quick one on an assistant.

That let to four Brady Scheier foul shots – and he made all four – fuleing a 15-1 run to close the game, bringing Somerville from down 29-25 with over two minutes to go, to win 40-30 in a game heard on Central Jersey Sports Radio.

The ‘Ville’s zone defense frustrated Bound Brook all afternoon, limiting senior Jackson Morrison – who came in averaging 24.9 points per game – to just five points on one three-point field goal and 2-of-4 at the foul line.

Then again, the Crusaders had seven players in the scoring column at the half, at which point the game was tied at 17-all, while the Pioneers had just two players score. But Scheier had 12, and LaCanna had five points at the break.

Scheier finished the day with 22 points, 13-of-16 from the charity stripe, while LaCanna finished with 15, 3-of-3 from the line, and with two triples. He had ten of his 15 points in the fourth quarter run.

Somerville improves to 7-2 with the win, 3-0 in the Skyland Conference Valley Division. Bound Brook drops to 6-4, 0-3 in the Valley.

Click below fro live postgame reaction – presented by Sportsplex at Metuchen – with Somerville’s Tim LaCanna and head coach Chris Nevolo:

Somerville boys look to keep things rolling in Skyland Valley in Saturday trip to The Brook

It’s been a strong start to the season for Chris Nevolo’s senior-laden Somerville group.

The Pioneers are 6-2 and 2-0 in the Skyland Conference’s Valley Division, but will put their hot start to the test against rival Bound Brook (6-3, 0-2 Skyland – Valley) Saturday afternoon.

You can hear the action on Central Jersey Sports Radio with tip-off at 1 pm, pregame at 12:45. Mike Pavlichko and Justin Sontupe have the call; click here to listen.

Brady Scheier leads the way for Somerville. A four-year starter and 1,000-point scorer, the senior point guard is averaging almost 18 points per game and has scored in double-figures in all eight contests. “The saying is one-in-a-million, but Brady’s one-in-a-billion,” Nevolo said.

Scheier is one of four standout Somerville football players that also play key roles on the hoops team; Brenden Pacheco, Josh Rodriguez, and Spencer Carran are the others. Nevolo believes that coming off of a Central Jersey Group 3 championship run on the turf can only help them on the hardwood. That toughness and multidimensionality can be tracked defensively, where Somerville is only allowing 40 points per game.

But Bound Brook is a tough place to play, and the Crusaders always present a challenge. The Ville last beat The Brook in January 2020, and with this short trip east, the Pioneers not only have a chance to do something that hasn’t been done in a handful of years, but also cement their spot atop the Skyland Valley division.

Click below to hear Somerville head coach Chris Nevolo talk about the Pioneers with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Justin Sontupe: