The dominant run by Colorado Mesa University women’s basketball team through the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and the Division II NCAA Tournament is over, and former Durango High School star Mason Rowland was a big part of the Mavericks’ success until the final buzzer.
Colorado Mesa and Roland’s 34-game winning streak was snapped on Thursday with a 75-70 loss to No.2 Indiana University of Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh. The loss dropped the No. 3 seed Mavericks’ overall record to 37-2 overall in addition to 20-0 in the RMAC; both marks are the best in program history.
On Thursday, Colorado Mesa got off to a poor start, trailing 12-0 against IUP in the first quarter. The Mavericks rallied to cut the deficit to 21-19 at the end of the first quarter. However, the recovery in the first quarter seemed to take up all the Mavericks’ energy as they never led, getting as close as four points in the third and five points in the fourth.
Rowland finished with a double-double of 27 points on 8-19 shooting from the field, 3-7 from 3-point range, 8-9 from the free-throw line and 10 rebounds. She was in her usual 1B role to Colorado Mesa’s 1A, Olivia Reed Thyne, who finished with 34 points and 14 rebounds. Only four Mavericks scored, and the next highest scorer finished with seven points.
IUP lost in the championship game to Grand Valley State, 72-49.
After steamrolling through RMAC play, the Mavericks earned the No. 3 seed in the South Central region. They beat Lubbock Christian, 80-45, in the first round, then beat UT Tyler, 62-58 in the regional semifinals (round of 32).
Colorado Mesa then had one of its toughest tests of the season in the regional final against No. 1 Texas Women’s University. The Mavericks got it done with a 65-64 win to advance to the Elite 8. Rowland finished with 16 points and eight rebounds.
In the Elite 8, the Mavericks were also seeded third with all of the teams left reseeded. The Mavericks’ final win was over the University of Minnesota Duluth, 81-59 on March 24.
Rowland finished the season averaging 18.4 points per game on 41% shooting from the field, 36% from 3-point range and 86% from the free-throw line. She was an elite rebounding guard with 6.1 rebounds per game, and she led the team with 3.8 assists per game.
In the NCAA Tournament, she averaged 19 PPG, 6.8 RPG and 2.8 APG.
The former Durango star will have to step up her game even more next season as the Mavericks lose Reed Thyne, the three-time RMAC Player of the Year, and key contributor Mykaela Moore to graduation.
bkelly@durangoherald.com
