Niwot girls struggle in early weeks of the season

The Niwot girls basketball team fell to 1-5 after dropping the home-opener to Erie 62-25 on Dec. 19. Afterwards, a clearly frustrated Coach Terri Ward had just one thing to say about her team's desultory performance: "We're ready for a break."

The Cougars will get that break over the next two weeks for the winter holidays, and hopefully it will give them time to regroup. Currently on a four-game skid, Niwot has averaged just 25.3 points per game so far this season and is shooting 26% from the floor and less than 20% from three-point range.

The Cougars picked up their sole win at the Santiago's Shootout on Dec. 11 against a Fort Lupton team that Ward later admitted, "wasn't very good."

"It was a good game for us when we needed it," she said of the 50-23 victory. "It was good for us to run the offense well."

Niwot's losing streak started on Dec. 13 with a tough 39-34 loss to Valley in game two of the Shootout that nonetheless saw a strong offensive effort from seniors Nikki Sims and Lily Sieben. However, the Cougars followed that up with a 47-12 loss to Skyview on Dec. 14, and then a 46-29 loss to cross-town rival Skyline on Dec. 17.

The Cougars will be back in action on Jan. 2 at 11:40 a.m. for game 1 of the Roughrider Shootout at Roosevelt High School in Johnstown. Their first Northern League contest is against Northridge on Jan. 7.