NHS girls basketball improves to 2-0 following dramatic win over Mountain Range

Up 54-51 with only seconds remaining in regulation, the Niwot High School varsity girls basketball team could have folded when Mountain Range High School's Delilah Lucero hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from well beyond the arc to force overtime.

Instead, second-year head coach Todd Trobaugh gathered his Cougars and urged them to move past the deflating end to the fourth quarter. Niwot embraced the message and rallied to a 66-59 win.

"I sat them down and said, 'Hey, you knew it was gonna happen, and you let it happen. I want you to remember this - put it in your mind and forget it until tomorrow,'" Trobaugh said. "And then we talked about getting back in the game. This is our house. We win in our house. Take it to 'em, put the hammer down. Overtime is ours. We're on the home court, we're taking this game right now. And that's what they did."

In overtime, Niwot rode the never-ceasing motor of senior point guard Thalia Almaraz, who scored five points in the extra period. Fellow seniors Peyton Rhodes and Hadie Adams also contributed to the overtime effort by contributing five combined points.

"It was mostly just believing in yourself and believing in your teammates," Almaraz said. "It was scary out there, but we won as a team."

Although Niwot didn't have its best shooting night, particularly at the free-throw line, Trobaugh was proud of his team's relentless fight.

"I'm thrilled at the way the girls competed," Trobaugh said. "We didn't shoot well from the free-throw line, but they got the win, and that's what I'm gonna take home. That's what I'm gonna tell them in the locker room. There's other things we need to work on, but they never quit, and I can't ask for anything more."

Freshman Alaina Loomis was not subject to Niwot's shooting woes. Playing in only her second high school game, the rookie guard scored a team-high 23 points, including eight in the fourth quarter. Additionally, junior Ella Zechman finished with six points while freshmen Kendall Toothaker, Alexis Austefjord, and senior Jiselle Sales each added three points.

Niwot, which beat Northglenn High School 63-32 in its season opener on Dec. 3, improved to 2-0 on the young season.

"They play hard, and that's all I ask kids," Trobaugh said. "That's my No. 1 thing. They play hard and don't quit. These guys have played hard for two games. I'm thrilled with the attitude, the aggressiveness, and the intensity."

Trobaugh credited Rhodes, Adams, and the rest of his senior class for leading Niwot's strong start.

"Peyton Rhodes has done a great job. Hadie Adams has done a great job showing great leadership on and off the court. I'm thrilled with all five of our seniors," Trobaugh said. "They're really making it count."

Following a weekend of rest, Niwot will face Standley Lake High School on Wednesday, Dec. 11. The game will be hosted by Centaurus High School (Lafayette) as part of an early-season tournament.