Mines vs. Colorado Christian, Saturday, 5 p.m. [Live Video] [Live Stats]
Mines vs. Regis, Sunday, 3 p.m. [Live Video] [Live Stats]
 

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THE WEEKEND AHEAD
Colorado School of Mines will close 2018 at home as they host local rivals Colorado Christian and Regis on Saturday and Sunday. The Orediggers are 6-3 overall and 3-0 in RMAC play to start the season; CCU is 2-7 and is 0-3 in the RMAC, while Regis is off to a strong start at 6-2 overall and 3-0 in-league. Mines has won five in a row, including three straight on the road.

LAST WEEKEND
It was a 2-0 road weekend on the Western Slope for Mines, first blowing out Western Colorado 109-60 before coming back to beat Colorado Mesa 99-94 in overtime. At WCU, the Orediggers were virtually perfect at both ends of the floor as Joe Miks drained 29 points off the bench (including 9 three-pointers) and Michael Glen was 9-for-9 for 22 points. Mines at one point led by 60 as they won their most lopsided RMAC game since 2010-11. On Saturday against a CMU team on a seven-game win streak, Mines gave up a first-half lead, then erased a 10-point deficit with under two minutes remaining to force overtime. Ben Clare poured in 23 points with nine boards and Ben Sonnefeld had 20; Miks scored 14 off the bench including the go-ahead three-pointer deep into overtime.

MIKS NAMED RMAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Joe Miks' play last weekend earned him RMAC Offensive Player of the Week honors on Monday for the first time in his career. Miks averaged 21.5 ppg and shot .714 overall (15-21) and .764 (13-17) for three; he is fifth in NCAA Division II and first in the RMAC this season in three-point shooting percentage at .561. At Western Colorado, Miks sank 9-of-11 three-point shots and was 10-of-13 overall for a career-high 29 points; at Colorado Mesa, Miks banged home 5-of-8 shots including 4-of-6 three-point shooting for 14 points, including the go-ahead three-pointer deep in overtime to help Mines win.

POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE
Before he leads Mines on Saturday and Sunday, Oredigger point guard Ben Sonnefeld has a third important date at Lockridge Arena this weekend: graduation. On Friday, Lockridge Arena will host Mines' midyear undergraduate and graduate commencement ceremonies, and Sonnefeld is expected to graduate magna cum laude with his degree in mechanical engineering. The redshirt senior will enroll in graduate school for the spring semester as he is playing in his final year of eligibility. A four-year starter at the point, Sonnefeld is averaging career highs this season in scoring (14.8 ppg), assists (4.4 apg), rebounds (5.1 rpg) and shooting percentage (.485); he is also approaching the 1,000-point mark at 932 career points. Sonnefeld will join teammate Ben Clare in earning a silver diploma; Clare earned his B.S. in mechanical engineering last May and is currently in grad school.

ROCK THE LOCK
Speaking of Lockridge Arena, Mines' home gym will be a busy place this weekend. The arena is scheduled to host two commencement ceremonies and four basketball games (and the thousands of guests that go with each) in the span of 72 hours, with both undergraduate and graduate commencements on Friday followed by RMAC women's and men's basketball doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday.

NO NO NO
Through nine games, Mines leads the RMAC and is fourth in NCAA Division II 52 total blocks (5.8 per game). It's truly been a team effort as no one Oredigger ranks higher than 80th in the nation in blocks; Michael Glen (13), Ben Clare (12), and Brendan Sullivan (11) have been the team's top rim protectors, with Austin Means at nine.

LAST YEAR
Mines swept the home-and-home with Colorado Christian last year, winning 86-71 at home behind Michael Glen's double-double and Ben Sonnefeld's 20 points, and 98-66 on the road as Luke Schroepfer drained 32 and Sonnefeld 26, both career highs. Mines was 1-2 against Regis last year, coming back in the second half to win 69-58 in Denver behind Schroepfer's 28-point performance that was Pryor Orser's 300th career win. The Rangers tipped Mines 68-67 in Golden, however, thanks to Christian Little's layup with 0.5 seconds remaining, then beat Mines 89-83 in the RMAC Tournament semifinals in Durango.

LOOKING AHEAD
Mines will open 2019 at home, hosting Westminster and Dixie State on Jan. 4 and 5.