A stifling defense helped the undefeated Windsor Wizards earn the No. 1 seed for the Class 4A girls state basketball tournament, and it was on display Tuesday against No. 17 Durango in the Sweet 16.
Windsor held DHS to eight first-half points and eventually won the game, 63-35.
“They’re up in your face defensively and very physical,” said DHS head coach Tim Fitzpatrick. “The defensive intensity that they had is something we hadn’t seen before. The kids to their credit made some adjustments, and they competed.”
Windsor only won the second half 28-27, but its 35-8 halftime lead was too much for the Demons to overcome.
Windsor keyed in on Mason Rowland, often double-teaming Durango’s leading scorer to keep her from getting open looks. Rowland knocked down an early 3-pointer to cut Windsor’s lead to 4-3, but the Wizards didn’t give up another point in the first quarter and led 19-3 after one.
In the second, Tyler Trujillo took a charge and knocked down a shot while getting fouled for Durango. “Freshman Tyler Trujillo played really well,” Fitzpatrick said. “She really took it at them, which helped us.”
Rowland scored three more points, but Colorado Mesa commit Olivia Reed blocked four shots in the half, and the Wizards took a 35-8 lead into halftime.
Other Demons got on the scoreboard after the break, and DHS won the third quarter, 16-11, to cut Windsor’s lead to 46-24 heading into the fourth.
Sydney Flores scored the opening basket, Riley Campbell knocked down a shot, Trujillo made a pair of free throws, and Rowland scored from all over the court.
The teams were pretty even in the fourth until Windsor went on a late 7-0 run. Windsor sank a three to start the quarter, but Rowland responded with a bucket. After Windsor scored five, Flores made a pair of free throws and Rowland turned a steal into a fast-break layup. Windsor followed with its own fast-break layup, and Carter Nieman and Rowland both went 2-for-2 from the line.
Rowland scored 20 points, Trujillo added six, Flores scored four, Campbell and Carter Neiman both scored two, and Reese Golver added one. Reed scored 18 for Windsor.
The loss ends Durango’s season at 17-8 overall after DHS picked up playoff wins over Regis Groff and Littleton in the opening two rounds. It was also the second time in the past three years that DHS reached the Sweet 16. Last year, DHS lost to the No. 1 seed and eventual champion Mullen in the first round. Mullen beat Windsor in the finals.
The game also was the last in a Durango jersey for seniors Mia Whistler and Flores. “We’re definitely going to miss Mia Whistler and Sydney Flores; they’re great senior leaders and, above all, great kids,” Fiitzpatrick said. “They have meant a lot to our program.”
“I’m extremely proud of all of these kids,” Fitzpatrick said. “The growth the kids had as a team from the start to March was huge.”
