Seven months after competing in the “final four” in the NCAA Division II Championships, the Colorado Mesa women’s basketball team made waves in paradise by winning the Hoops in Hawaii Tip-Off Classic.
Led by tournament most valuable player Mason Rowland, the Mavericks won three games in the Hoops in Hawaii Tip-Off Classic at the TC Ching Athletic Center, highlighted by a 64-57 win over Winona State of the Northern Sun in the championship contest.
Rowland had 25 points and 11 rebounds in the Sunday finale to finish the tournament with 85 points and 35 rebounds for the three games. She made 30 of 35 free throw attempts in the classic.
In her fourth season with the Mavericks, Rowland has now scored 1,317 points in her career (77 games), tying Bonnie Brewster (108 games) on the school’s all-time scoring list. Rowland averaged 18.4 points and 6.1 rebounds last season when Mesa finished with a 37-2 record and captured both the regular- and post-season Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference titles.
Opening Statement: Dominance Over Alaska Anchorage
The Mavericks kicked off their campaign Friday with an assertive 74-52 statement win over the University of Alaska Anchorage. READ MORE
Colorado Mesa set the tone immediately, outscoring the Seawolves 28-10 in a blistering first quarter. Rowland exploded for a game-high 32 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to notch a stellar opening-night double-double. Sedonia Isenbart added 12 points off the bench, while Jenna Krise chipped in 11 to help secure the 22-point blowout.
Securing the Semifinal: Outlasting St. Mary’s
Carrying that momentum into Halloween night on Saturday, the Mavericks posted a 62-53 win over Lone Star as Rowland again posted a double-double with 28 points and 13 rebounds to advance to the championship game. READ MORE
With the game tied 43-43 after three quarters, Rowland scored 13 of the Mavericks 19 points in the fourth quarter, including 8-of-10 free throws in the final 70 seconds.
MORE HOOP NOTES
For the 16 schools that play collegiate basketball at the 4-year level in the Centennial State, here are the preseason polls for Colorado-based colleges and universities: Big Sky (Men/Women); Big XII (Men/Women); Mountain West (Men/Women); Pac-12 (Men/Women); Rocky Mountain (Men/Women), Southern Collegiate (Men/Women); and West Coast (Men/Women). Colorado Mesa (RMAC) and Colorado College (SCAC) women’s teams are favored to win their conferences.
Here is the men’s schedule along with earlier exhibition results:
- O11 – Wyoming 94, Northern Colorado 68 at Gillette (Exhibition)
- O18 – Colorado 67, North Texas 64 at Denver (Exhibition)
- O25 – at San Diego 73, Colorado State 58 (Exhibition)
- O28 – at Weber State 85, Colorado Mesa 60 (Exhibition)
- N2 – Air Force at Wright State, 5 p.m.
- N2 – Denver at Wisconsin, 5:30 p.m.
- N2 – Western Colorado at Utah Valley, 6 p.m.
- N2 – Abilene Christian at Colorado, 7 p.m.
- N2 – Colorado College at Northern Colorado, 7:30 p.m.
- N2 – Montana State at Colorado State, 8 p.m.
- N5 – Calumet at Air Force, 6:30 p.m.
- N6 – Idaho at Colorado State, 7 p.m.
- N6 – Northern Colorado at Arizona State, 7 p.m.
- N7 – Colorado at San Diego State, 1:30 p.m.
- N7 – Denver at UC Riverside, 5:30 p.m.
- N8 – Idaho State at Air Force, 1 p.m.
- N9 – Adams State at Western New Mexico, 6 p.m.
- N9 – Colorado College at Colorado Mines, 6 p.m.
- N9 – Colorado Christian at Concordia Irvine, 7 p.m.
- N9 – Justice College at Fort Lewis, 7 p.m.
Here is the women’s schedule:
- O26 -at New Mexico 93, MSU Denver 59 (Exhibition)
- O27 – at Colorado 100, Adams State 39 (Exhibition)
- O27 – at Brigham Young 120, Western Colorado 36 (Exhibition)
- O28 – at Colorado State 109, Chadron State 38 (Exhibition)
- O30 – Colorado Mesa 74, Alaska Anchorage 62 at Honolulu (Recap)
- O30 – Texas Woman’s 66, MSU Denver 57 at Canyon, Texas (Recap)
- O30 – Hawaii Pacific 74, Western Colorado 63 at Honolulu (Recap)
- O31 – Angelo State 89, MSU Denver 56 at Canyon, Texas (Recap)
- O31 – Lubbock Christian 80, Western Colorado 49 at Honolulu (Recap)
- O31 – Colorado Mesa 62, St. Mary’s 53 at Honolulu (Recap)
- N1 – at Chaminade 73, Western Colorado 61 (Recap)
- N1 – Colorado Mesa 64, Winona State 57 at Honolulu (Recap CHAMPIONSHIP)
- N2 – Hastings at Northern Colorado, 5 p.m.
- N2 – Lindenwood at Colorado State, 5:30 p.m.
- N2 – Denver at Air Force, 6:30 p.m.
- N4 – Morgan State at Colorado, 6 p.m.
- N4 – Lindenwood at Denver, 6 p.m.
- N6 – Colorado State at Utah, 7 p.m.
- N7 – Saint Mary’s at Air Force, 1 p.m.
- N7 – Fresno State at Colorado, 1 p.m.
- N7 – Denver at Weber State, 4 p.m.
- N7 – Northern Colorado at Texas, 6 p.m.
- N9 – Fort Lewis at Eastern New Mexico, 5 p.m.
- N9 – Western Colorado at Lubbock Christian, 5 p.m.
- N9 – Northern New Mexico at Northern Colorado, 6 p.m.
- N10 – Colorado State at Denver, 6 p.m.
