GOLDEN – Sophomore Taylor Helbig finished with a game-high and new career-best 24 points, yet it was not enough as the Colorado School of Mines women's basketball team fell for the first time at home, dropping a 64-58 final to UC-Colorado Springs Friday at Lockridge Arena.
Helbig scored 10 of the Orediggers' final 12 points and rallied Mines from a 12-point deficit to within 60-58 with 28 seconds left, but the Mountain Lions hit all of their four free throw attempts, including a 1-and-1 in the final 22 ticks for the ending result.
Helbig matched her career-high with four triples, sinking 4-of-7 on her way to an 8-of-16 night and her ninth game of 10 or more points this season and third of at least 20.
Mines (10-6, 7-3 RMAC) opened the second half on an 8-to-2 run, capped by sophomore Sam Rusk's right wing triple that evened the game at 36-36 4:07 into the half.
With both the inside and outside facets working, UCCS (10-4, 7-3 RMAC) went back ahead 47-38, and shortly after the Orediggers closed within 47-46 with 9:15 remaining, the Mountain Lions strung together 11 unanswered in 4:10 for their largest lead of the evening.
Both teams hits on their first two field goal tries and after trailing 3-0, the Orediggers took a 9-5 lead at the 15:39 mark of the first on a pair at the free throw line from freshman Courtney Martin.
The quick start was short lived though as the Mountain Lions kept Mines to just 30.3 percent (10-of-33) shooting, while connecting of 13-of-24 (54.2 percent) of their attempts and 5-of-7 (71.4 percent) three-pointers for a 34-28 lead after the first 20 minutes.
Junior Allie Grazulis, the second-leading rebounder in the RMAC entering the night, added 10 points and led a 45-to-36 effort on the glass with a game-high 14 for her team-leading fifth double-double.
Despite bettering UCCS by nine on the boards, including 19-to-5 on the offensive end, the Orediggers only mustered eight second chance points and were outscored 22-to-20 in the paint.
Four Mountain Lions reached double figures as UCCS finished 23-of-53 (43.4 percent) from the floor and 8-of-15 (53.3 percent) from three-point territory. Kellie Krueger led with 14 points; Gabby Ramirez had 12 – all off three-pointers – and Abby Kirchoff and Jeri Pikul added 10.
Mines hosts CSU-Pueblo (10-4, 7-3 RMAC) in a battle of third-place RMAC squads at 5 p.m. tomorrow in its final home contest of the month.
Fans are encouraged to wear white as part of the WAM and SAAC "White-Out." The first 200 students in the door will receive a free t-shirt, courtesy of WAM and SAAC. The accomplishments of the fall athletic programs and student-athletes will also be honored at halftime of the men's game, which is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
