Mines at New Mexico Highlands, Thursday, 7 p.m. [Live Video] [Live Stats]
Mines vs. CSU-Pueblo, Saturday, 7 p.m. [Live Video] [Live Stats]
 

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THIS WEEKEND
It will be an unusual split weekend for the Orediggers (13-3, 7-3 RMAC) as they head south to take on New Mexico Highlands (11-6, 6-5 RMAC) on Thursday before returning home to host CSU-Pueblo (8-10, 5-7 RMAC) on Saturday. It's an important weekend for Mines to keep pace with the top of the RMAC standings, led by Fort Lewis (10-2) and Westminster (9-3).

LAST WEEKEND
Mines split its road trip with an 82-72 win at Colorado Mesa before falling 79-76 at Western State. At Mesa, Mason Baker scored 20 and Michael Glen generated 12 points with a career-high 16 rebounds, while Ben Sonnefeld scored 16 with four assists. At WSCU, the Mountaineers pulled ahead late despite Adam Laine's 31-point, 12-rebound output, and Duke Douglas added 13.

LAST YEAR VS. NMHU/CSUP
Mines swept the season series from New Mexico Highlands, 61-58 at home and 88-77 on the road. In the first meeting, Gokul Natesan's layup with 14 seconds left put Mines ahead for the win as Ben Clare had 11 points and 11 rebounds; the second time around, Caleb Waitsman scored 23 to lead the Orediggers. Mines and CSU-Pueblo met only once, an 80-58 blowout win for the Orediggers in Pueblo as Clare scored 17 and Adam Laine 16 as Mines dominated in the paint.

LAINE'S CAREER GAME
One bright spot from Mines' loss at Western State was the play of Adam Laine, who exploded for 31 points and 12 rebounds off the bench, tying his career highs. Laine shot 10-of-15 and was 11-of-15 from the foul line, and also dished two assists in 19 minutes.

OFF THE BENCH
Mines' bench production has been impressive over the season, but especially so in the last four games, where the Oredigger reserves have outscored their opponents 146-42, including 54-11 at Western State and 34-5 at Colorado Mesa. Mines' bench has been out-produced only four times in 16 games this season.

A HELPING HAND
Ben Sonnefeld has only two and a half seasons of running the point under his belt, but the redshirt junior has already cracked the Mines all-time top 10 list in assists. Sonnefeld's 260 career assists put him 10th, and he could move higher this weekend with Stephen Bahl (261, 2001-05) and Mike Mishak (263, 1986-90) right ahead of him. This season he's generating 3.8 assists per game, a career-best rate, and is also on pace for career highs in scoring (12.9 ppg) and rebounding (3.6 rpg).

ON THE AIR
Earlier this month the RMAC announced that five Colorado School of Mines basketball games were selected to air on Comcast Entertainment Television in February. Mines' home doubleheaders against Regis on Feb. 2 and Fort Lewis on Feb. 16 will have both the women's and men's games televised, while Mines' men's game at MSU Denver on Feb. 24 will also air on CET. As a result, all five game times have changed; the two home doubleheaders will now be 5 p.m./7 p.m. tip-offs changed from 6 p.m./8 p.m., while the men's game at MSU Denver is pushed back to a 7:30 p.m. start time from 7 p.m.