Girls Basketball: Somerville's historic season ends with loss in Group III semifinals

FRANKLIN LAKES – After capturing its first sectional title since 1985 on Tuesday, the Somerville High School girls basketball team’s historic season came to an end on Thursday.

The Pioneers led 45-43 at the start of the fourth quarter, but a 17-3 run to start the fourth by Pascack Valley was too much to handle as Somerville fell 66-53 in the Group III semifinals at Ramapo High School.

Somerville finished the season at 19-7 and topped Voorhees 80-60 in the North 2 Group III final on Tuesday after falling to the Vikings 64-42 in the final a season ago.

“The championship is a memory that will last forever, to see the joy and happiness on every one of their faces on Tuesday night was enough for a lifetime,” Somerville coach Matt Melesurgo said. “I wish we had one more. I’m going to miss watching them play.”

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Basketball is a game of runs, and that was especially evident on Thursday. Trailing two points at the start of the fourth, the Indians started on a torrid pace with their 17-3 run and took a 60-48 lead with only a few minutes remaining. The Pioneers responded to the Indians’ previous runs, but the last one proved to be too much.

“It was a game of runs, we responded the first couple times and were able to survive, but we just didn’t survive that last one,” Melesurgo said. “That’s two great basketball teams battling for four quarters, and unfortunately we ended up on the other side, but I’m 100% proud of every bit of effort our team gave from day one.”

The Indians rallied from a seven-point halftime deficit to take a 40-38 lead late in the third, but senior Nyasia Thomas hit two 3-pointers in a row and led the Pioneers to a 45-43 third quarter lead. Thomas finished with 16 points.

“That was just a senior saying, ‘I’m not done,’ I think you saw it in her eye,” Melesurgo said. “She was battling throughout the game, she had a couple up-and-down possessions and wasn’t 100% there, and I think that’s exactly what she needed.”

After missing six of her first seven shots, senior and leading scorer Melody Van Ness exploded for 10 points and went on a 7-0 run of her own to turn a 16-9 first quarter deficit into a 29-22 lead by the end of the first half. Van Ness tallied 17 points for the game.

“That’s what she’s done all year,” Melesurgo said. “When we’ve needed her to step up, she’s been consistent in every aspect of the game, offensively and defensively. A senior putting the team on her back as much as possible got us to halftime with a nice lead.”

Staff Writer Daniel LoGiudice can be reached at dlogiudice@gannettnj.com. Follow him on Twitter @danny_logiudice