GOLDEN – Colorado School of Mines women's basketball takes to the hardwood for the first time in the 2013-14 regular season this weekend at the 30th Annual Al Kaly Shriners' Classic at Colorado State-Pueblo.
Mines debuts against Oklahoma Christian (2-0) at 1 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 15 and takes on McMurry (0-2) at 1 p.m. Saturday, both at Massari Arena.
With a conference-best two Preseason All-RMAC selections, the Orediggers were voted eighth out of 14 teams in the 2013-14 RMAC Preseason Coaches Poll.
Senior Allie Grazulis and junior Taylor Helbig, both first-time preseason honorees, headline the return of four starters for an Oredigger squad that finished 15-14 overall, 12-10 in the RMAC and earned the No. 7 seed in the RMAC Tournament in 2012-13.
Grazulis ended the season as the only conference player with a double-double average, ranking first in rebounding (298; 10.3 per game) and 27th in scoring (10.5 points per game). She also was 10th in minutes played at 31.7 per contest.
The Palmer, Alaska native led the RMAC with 17 double-digit rebounding games and tied for third in the conference with eight double-doubles, highlighted by a 22-point, 20-rebound night at Alaska Fairbanks.
Helbig, No. 12 in scoring in the conference at 13.4 points per game, went over 10 points 19 times during the season, all coming over 20-game stretch, and paced Mines with nine 20-point nights, fourth-most in the RMAC.
A native of Thornton, Colo., Helbig tied for third in the conference in three-point field goals (62) – third-most in a single-season by an Oredigger – fifth in triples per game (2.1) and 16th in three-point percentage (35.8 percent). She shared the team with 59 assists and was second in total field goals (133).
Also returning are senior starters Courtney Gallo and Tory Langas.
Gallo ranked 14th in the RMAC in three-point field goals (36) and paced the team in free throw percentage at .861 (31-of-36). She reached 10 or more points 12 times, including a career-high 19 in the RMAC Tournament at Metro State.
Langas was 10th in the conference in blocks (20), 14th in rebounds (149) and 20th in rebounds per game (5.1) last season. She scored in double figures in 10 games, highlighted by a career-high 18 points and 8-of-10 field goals against McMurry on Nov. 17.
Oklahoma Christian, last season's fourth-place finisher at the NCCAA national tournament, enters Friday's first-ever meeting with Mines coming off recent home wins of 108-60 over York and 79-60 against Southern Nazarene.
Led by Sydney Hill and Roz Hamilton at 16.0 and 15.5 points per game, respectively, the Lady Eagles' high-scoring attack features 13 players averaging 3.0 or more points a night.
The Shriners' Classic marks the second tournament of the season for McMurry who opened at the St. Mary's Classic last weekend with setbacks to Angelo State (77-42) and Texas A&M-Kingsville (60-58).
Senior Keshia Collins leads the War Hawks with 12.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.
The Orediggers won the series-opener 65-46 last season as part of the Comfort Inn Ashbrook Classic in Wichita Falls, Texas.
Oklahoma Christian and McMurry are both competing in the Heartland Conference during the 2013-14 season as provisional members.
SHRINERS' CLASSIC HEADQUARTERS
