Cougars girls basketball falls to second-ranked Mead High School

The Niwot High School girls basketball team had a 9-6 season record leading into the Jan. 24 game against Mead High School, ranked number two in the state in Class 5A. The Niwot girls suffered a lopsided 56-17 loss against Class 6A Centaurus High School on Jan. 21, and hopes were high to get back in the win column.

Unfortunately, the Mavericks brought their A-game, resulting in a Mead victory, with a final score of 66-24. Niwot coach Todd Trobaugh was upbeat following the loss, "Our girls competed the entire game," he said. "We were pleased with their effort and they competed right up to the final buzzer."

Sophomore Diya Mehta explained how she approaches challenges during tough games, "I just take a deep breath and focus on the next play." Mehta had significant playing time in both the second and fourth quarters with notable defense on some of Mead's strongest offensive players.

With the team down 27-4 at the end of first quarter, team spirit and morale influenced how Niwot played the rest of the game despite the rough score. Mehta explained, "Everyone on the team is so close," she said, "They're always lifting each other up on and off the court."

Freshman Alaina Loomis, senior Thalia Almaraz and senior Hadie Adams stepped up during the second quarter on offense, giving the Cougars another nine points, with Almaraz scoring four, Adams three, and Loomis two before the buzzer. The Mead offense, however, increased the gap, outscoring the Cougars with 17 points, bringing the halftime score to 44-13.

"We were in a good frame of mind," Trobaugh reflected. "[We were] not overwhelmed by facing the number two team in the state. There are always things you wish you could've done differently or done more of in practice. But again, there were no surprises."

Off the court, the NHS marching band and cheer team showed no signs of disappointment continuing to bring energy, support and enthusiasm to the team. Section leader of the marching band Owen Simon commented, "Number 24 (Thalia Almaraz) had an incredible drive followed by a layup that brought so much excitement to the band and audience as a whole. How strong they came back after a tough loss earlier this week is truly inspirational."

The Cougars started the third and fourth quarters in high spirits and ready for the challenge ahead. "We really focused on coming to the ball and moving more on offense," Mehta said of the second half. Mehta fought for multiple rebounds and assists throughout the second half and senior Peyton Rhodes added four points by the end of the third quarter.

The team's focus on offense was valuable for points, but as Simon observed, "We saw some great moments from the offensive side, but the defense often failed to counteract charges from the Mead girls."

The third quarter ended with Mead up 56-22. Niwot was only able to add two free throws in the fourth quarter, one by Adams and one by Loomis, bringing the final score to 66-24. The schedule does not get any easier as the Cougars travel to fifth-ranked Class 6A Broomfield High School on Tuesday, Jan. 28 and Holy Family High School on Friday, Jan. 30. Both games begin at 5:30 p.m.