Niwot boys basketball season wraps up

Niwot High School boys basketball wrapped up the season with games on the road against the Fort Morgan Mustangs and at home against the Northridge Grizzlies Feb. 14 and Feb. 16, respectively.

Niwot was competitive but lost both games, 68-61 to the Mustangs, and 57-48 to the Grizzlies, ending the season on a 10-game losing streak. The Cougars finished ninth of 10 teams in league with a record of 3-15 in Longs Peak league games, and an overall record of 5-17, winning two more games than last season.

Against the Mustangs, Niwot stayed on pace to start, down 16-11 at the end of the first period, and behind 38-31 at the half. The Cougars played even with the Mustangs in the second half, with the Mustangs outscoring Niwot 12-10 in the third period, and the Cougars outscoring Fort Morgan 20-18 in the fourth quarter. Fort Morgan ranked eighth in the league.

Jerek Funkhouser dominated with 24 points, two rebounds, an assist, and a block. Jackson Carano and Julian Lettow both notched double-digit points as well, scoring 15 and 13 points, respectively.

Jack Jarvis's eight assists and Lettow's five led the team. Carano led the team in rebounds with six, complemented by Lettow, Drew Buckingham, and Zachary Dawson bringing down three each. Niwot's eight steals were highlighted by Lettow's three, while Lettow also had two blocks. Niwot shot an impressive 50% from the field but only shot 14% from beyond the arc.

The game was ultimately determined at the free throw line. The Cougars were whistled for 21 personal fouls, while the Mustangs were called for 14. Niwot made three of their four free throws, while Fort Morgan made 14 out of 23 attempts. Niwot had a slight edge with 24 turnovers compared to 21 for Fort Morgan.

The Cougars then faced off against the Northridge Grizzlies in their season finale on Senior Night. Niwot started slow with a starting lineup of seniors, falling behind 9-0, which was ultimately the margin of defeat. The slow start put the Cougars down 18-10 at the end of the first quarter, but a 13-7 second quarter rally in Niwot's favor closed the difference at the half, with the Cougars down only 25-23.

A 14-14 third quarter draw left the Northridge lead at two points when the final quarter began. Niwot fell short in the fourth, as they were outscored 18-11, for a 57-48 season-ending loss.

Niwot Coach Clay Wittrock took the opportunity in the final game of the season to play players who hadn't seen much varsity time. Underclassmen Sebastian Stenz, Brighton Langenegger and Luke Demmel all saw action, as did team manager Joe Haapala.