BURNABY, British Columbia — Mason Rowland had a memorable start to her career Friday with the Colorado Mesa women's basketball team.
The freshman guard from Durango came off the bench and sparked the Mavericks to a 69-54 victory over Central Washington in the D2CCA Canadian Tip-Off Classic at Langley Events Centre.
Rowland had one of the best debut games for a Maverick freshman in the Division II era with 22 points, six rebounds three steals, one blocked shot and one turnover in 32 minutes.
Paired with the 13th double-double of Olivia Reed's career (15 points, 14 rebounds), the Mavericks used a 3-pointer from Josee Steadman 30 seconds into the fourth quarter to take the lead for good and outscored Central Washington 26-11 in the fourth quarter.
It was the second straight season a CMU freshman had a stellar debut — Reed scored 14 points and had eight rebounds in her first college game last November.
In a game that was tied six times, had eight lead changes and neither team leading by more than six points until the final quarter, CMU shot 63.6% from the field in the fourth quarter, including hitting four 3-pointers, and out-rebounded the Wildcats 9-3, with three crucial offensive rebounds allowing them to work the clock in the closing minutes.
Kylie Kravig hit a 3-pointer, then a driving layup around a pair of Steadman 3-pointers, the second of which gave the Mavericks a 54-47 lead. She made another after Laura Gutierrez grabbed an offensive rebound.
Rowland entered the game at the 5:34 mark of the first quarter and 24 seconds later hit a 3-pointer, the first shot of her career. Her nine first-quarter points took some pressure off Reed, who faced a collapsing defense whenever she got a pass in the low post. Steadman hit a baby hook in the paint in the final minute of the first quarter and the Mavs led 13-12, but they trailed by five, 30-25, in the final minute of the first half.
Rowland missed a short jumper with four seconds remaining, but immediately stole the ball from Valerie Huerta and buried a jumper at the horn to pull the Mavericks within three at halftime, 30-27.
The offense was more efficient in the second half, with the guards driving to draw the defense, then finding Reed for layups, and the defense held Central Washington to 23.5% shooting in the third quarter. Rowland hit a jumper in the paint after a steal by Kravig with 19 seconds remaining in the third to put CMU up three, 43-40.
Steadman hit three of four 3-pointers and finished with 14 points and Kravig added nine points and seven rebounds. CMU cashed in at the free-throw line, hitting 16 of 22 compared to the Wildcats' 5 of 8.
Colorado Mesa faces host Simon Fraser, which dropped its opener Friday to Texas-Tyler 64-50, at 5:45 Saturday evening and wraps up the opening weekend at 11:30 a.m. Sunday against Alaska Fairbanks.
