DURANGO, Colo. – Denali Pinto, Raven Herrera and Anna Kollmorgen all scored in double digits Saturday night, but it was defense that guided the Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team to a 60-47 victory over Fort Lewis inside Whalen Gymnasium as the Orediggers extended their winning streak to three games.
 
The Skyhawks (7-8, 3-6 RMAC) came into the game averaging over 70 points per contest, but Mines (8-6, 5-4 RMAC) held FLC to just 31-percent shooting from the floor and 10-percent from behind the arc. Three steals from Raven Herrera bolstered the defensive stand, while Pinto added the only block of the game from either team. The Orediggers finished the game with seven steals while forcing 11 Skyhawk turnovers. Mines had five individuals record at least one steal in the win.
 
On offense, Pinto led Mines with 16 points while Herrera dropped 14 of her own. Kollmorgen put together a 10-point performance behind 8-for-10 shooting at the free-throw line. Pinto was also tops for the Orediggers on the glass with seven rebounds. Herrera and Kollmorgen were not far behind with six boards each. As a team, Mines out-rebounded Fort Lewis 45-33. That performance puts the Orediggers +8.0 in rebounding this season.
 
Mines entered the weekend tied for ninth in the RMAC standings. However, the Orediggers' pair of victories has them in a five-way tie for fifth place in the league – just one win away from the second-best record in the conference and a tie for third place. Colorado Mesa and Westminster both remain atop the standings, undefeated in RMAC play.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The only tie of the game was 0-0 and the Orediggers never trailed. Pinto laid in the first basket of the game 71 seconds into the first quarter and Mines never looked back. That basket sparked an 11-point first quarter for the true freshman guard. Pinto finished the opening period 4-for-8 from the field with a three-pointer and four rebounds.
 
Fort Lewis had its best shot at the lead in the second quarter as it opened the period with a 9-2 run. Sammy Van Sickle put a stop to the Skyhawks' surge with a three-pointer out of the media timeout as she scored five of the Orediggers' next seven points. Mines closed the quarter on a 4-0 run of their own while holding FLC scoreless for the final three minutes, giving the Orediggers a 28-23, halftime lead.
 
The defensive battle intensified in the second half as Fort Lewis held Mines to just 28-percent from the floor, but the Orediggers were up to the task as they limited the Skyhawks to 29-percent from the field and 0-for-11 from three-point range. Free throws would close it out and clinch the victory as Mines went 9-for-10 from the charity stripe over the final 10 minutes.
 
NOTABLES
- Mines is 19-36 in the all-time series against Fort Lewis.
- Saturday marked the Orediggers' first win in Durango since Dec. 11, 2015.
- Mines has six double-digit wins on the season.
- Pinto has led the Orediggers' scoring efforts in seven games as a true freshman.
- Stanton's six points at Fort Lewis put her over 100 points for her career.
- Mines' defense has held four opponents under 50 points in the 2018-19 campaign.
- Head coach Brittany Simpson is 103-83 in seven years at the helm.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines returns to Lockridge Arena Jan. 18-19 to host South Dakota Mines and Black Hills State. Live stats and video of the games will be available at www.minesathletics.com.
 
Keep up with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all season long on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics.