Niwot boys still looking for first win of 2021

Like a loving parent who catches his child in a conspicuous lie, Niwot head coach Clayton Wittrock said that he was "disappointed" rather than frustrated after the Cougars' 57-51 home court loss to a very beatable Northridge Grizzlies (2-7) on Feb. 20. Pointing to weak fundamentals and lack of consistency, he then had some paternal advice for his winless team going into the final five games of 2021.

"We've got to show that we're actually learning those lessons and not just sitting through class," he said after Niwot's ninth straight loss, putting them in a tie with Berthoud for last place in the Longs Peak League. "Based on scores at the end of games, it's looking like we're sitting through class."

The loss to Northridge was the third of the week for Niwot, and certainly disappointing in terms of lost opportunities. Though trailing by five (27-22) at the half, a quick start to the third quarter put the Cougars up by a point, their first second-half lead of the year.

Niwot kept the score close until midway through the fourth, when an 8-0 Northridge run widened the gap to 12 points. Senior forward Gage Gruidel led the Cougars back to within three in the closing minutes, but the beleaguered Cougars could not pull off the comeback.

Nonetheless, Niwot posted its highest point total (51) of the season, the highest field-goal percentage (52%), and highest three-point percentage (43%). But they also gave up 34 rebounds to the Grizzlies and missed crucial free throws in the fourth quarter, which was ultimately the difference in the game, according to Wittrock.

"We've made that such an emphasis, and we do so much around that, to try to be fundamental, and to have that be such a problem for us today, I was really disappointed," he said. "Look at how many points we're leaving at the line that just change what we're doing at the end, if we're hitting a reasonable percentage of our free throws."

There were still a few highlights for Niwot. Gruidel posted his third-straight double-double, with 11 points and 12 rebounds, boosting his team-leading totals to 83 and 73, respectively. Point guard Dev Mudukutore also posted his third double-digit scoring effort of the year, with 12 points, and had a season-high seven assists. But the junior also showed flashes of impatience as Niwot's slim third-quarter lead slipped away.

"Dev's a competitor," Wittrock said of the junior, now in his second year with the varsity. "He has high expectations for himself, and he has high expectations of his teammates, as he should. He's frustrated when he doesn't execute for his teammates, and he gets frustrated when those things don't happen. And I love his heart."

Consistency has been Cougars' hobgoblin during the losing streak, which Wittrock attributed to his team's inexperience and lack of confidence, following a 62-47 loss at Mountain View on Feb. 18. In response, he and the coaches have made changes to the starting lineup and bench rotation, hoping to shake things up.

"I laid out a challenge to the guys that, at the end of the day, we've been struggling to control the ball on defense and had some struggles offensively, but we have to have a high level of effort," he said. "We've got to recognize the guys who are trying to bring it. It's going to continue to be a fluid thing for us...guys have to be ready to get out of their comfort zone, and that means leaving it open so guys know they have to battle all the time. That's good for us as a team, it's good for us as a program, and it's good for their individual growth."

While it hasn't resulted in wins yet, Wittrock is seeing progress from his youthful team, and signs that the newcomers are adjusting to the speed of the varsity game. Niwot's field goal and three-point shooting has improved substantially over the last three games, and their rebounding is also up. "I know that they're learning stuff... We're definitely a different team than we were nine games ago," he said.

But that just makes the recent losses harder to take, Wittrock continued, because he knows they're so close to putting it all together and finally getting a win.

"Frustration comes when you feel like, are they not understanding yet, or do they not know what we're trying to do as a team or a program? But I really believe that they understand what we expect and what will make us successful, and we don't see it executed. If you want to be successful in northern Colorado playing 4A ball, which I think is some of the best 4A ball in the state, you've got to be physical, you've got to be fundamental, and you've got to take every shot you take as a lesson to get better."