Colorado rivals clashed in New Mexico. The game was tied, and the Durango Demons turned to a freshman for the game-winning shot.
Mason Rowland didn’t miss her opportunity.
It was the symbolic ushering in of a new great talent to the Durango High School girls basketball team. Rowland hit a short jump shot at the buzzer sounded to send the Demons to a 35-33 win against Montrose in the championship game of the “Rumble in the Jungle” tournament Jan. 4 at Aztec High School. The freshman had arrived.
Rowland went on to win First Team All-Southwestern League honors and an honorable mention spot on the Colorado High School Activities Association’s Class 4A All-State team. For her accomplishments, Rowland was named The Durango Herald Girls Freshman of the Year for the 2019-2020 season.
“I was really nervous coming into this year,” Rowland said. “You can do anything you want if you believe in yourself. I believed in myself this whole year and knew that I could play with everybody if I competed.”
Rowland would average 8.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game on a Durango team that scored an average of 40.4 points per game, as the Demons went 15-10 overall.
It was the CHSAA Class 4A state tournament where Rowland would shine brightest. In a second-round home win against Skyview, she scored 18 points. She put up another 16 points in a Sweet 16 road loss at Green Mountain, as she helped keep the Demons alive until late in the fourth quarter.
“The thing with Mason, we just allowed her to come into her own. We never put pressure on her,” said DHS girls basketball head coach Tim Fitzpatrick. “Knowing the talent that she has, we let her come by it naturally. Having good, supportive teammates around her helped her develop.
“The game winner against Montrose, that was a huge moment. It boosted her confidence. Her teammates had confidence in her from the first day she showed up, but for her to deliver a game-winning shot in a championship game, that’s pretty big.”
Fitzpatrick called Rowland the best player on the court, for either team, in both of Durango’s state tournament games. He hopes she can draw on those experiences in the coming years.
“I have the confidence after playing against the older girls this year,” Rowland said. “The playoff games, feeling the energy in the gym and not being able to escape it, those were the most fun games I’ve played in.”
Rowland also credited her teammates for helping her ease into varsity basketball. She said having her sister, junior Kyle, also was key to her success.
Rowland is a three-sport athlete who also plays volleyball and soccer. She didn’t get a chance at a freshman soccer season after the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the spring sports season. She is eager for a chance to become a three-sport varsity letter winner as a sophomore.
“I am working out with my sisters, and that has helped me a lot,” Rowland said. “Staying motivated is really hard, but having a workout buddy makes it easier. It’s important right now to keep going, never cheat yourself or stop working.”
Editor’s note: The Durango Herald selected high school sports players of the year based on a unanimous decision between sports editor John Livingston and former sports writer Brendan Ploen. Increased consideration was given to multi-sport athletes who showed leadership in their communities.
