Mines (10-8, 7-6 RMAC) at CSU-Pueblo (11-8, 9-4 RMAC) – Friday, 5:30 p.m. [Live Stats] [Live Video]
Mines (10-8, 7-6 RMAC) at New Mexico Highlands (4-16, 2-11 RMAC) – Saturday, 5 p.m. [Live Stats] [Live Video]
 

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ON THE RMAC NETWORK
Every Mines home game and RMAC road game can be seen live and for free on the RMAC Network at minesathletics.com/tv. The RMAC Network can also be found on Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, and Android TV devices by going to the app store and searching "RMAC".
 
SOUTHBOUND AND DOWN
The Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team is sojourning south this weekend for RMAC contests at CSU-Pueblo Friday and New Mexico Highlands Saturday. Carrying the weight of back-to-back losses, Mines looks to get back on the winning track. However, it won't be easy with CSU-Pueblo boasting a three-game win streak and New Mexico Highlands always dangerous at home in Las Vegas. A pair of wins could move the Orediggers into a tie for third place in the RMAC standings, while a pair of losses or even a split could drop Mines to ninth place or lower. Either way, this weekend's games are of the utmost importance for the Orediggers' postseason hopes.
 
THE WEEKEND THAT WAS
Last weekend, Mines took a two-game road swing to MSU Denver and Chadron State. Friday's contest in the Mile High City resulted in a 67-58 loss at the hand of the Roadrunners despite 16 points from Anna Kollmorgen, 11 from Nicole Archambeau and 10 from Denali Pinto. Saturday's matchup at Chadron State ended in the definition of heartbreak as the Eagles rallied from behind for a 76-73 victory. Courtney Stanton's career-high 19 points were spoiled in the loss. Kollmorgen also scored 19 with four assists and Pinto racked up 17 points. The weekend marks Mines' first back-to-back losses in exactly 50 days, dating back to the Orediggers' road trip to Western Colorado and Colorado Mesa.
 
SCOUTING CSU-PUEBLO
CSU-Pueblo is the defending RMAC regular-season and tournament champions after going 26-6 (20-2 RMAC) last season. However, the ThunderWolves had a rough go early in the year as they started the season 2-4. Since that time, CSU-Pueblo has gone 9-4 with a trio of three-game win streaks mixed in. Most recently, the ThunderWolves have won three straight road games including victories at Chadron State, South Dakota Mines and Black Hills State. Jennah Knafelc leads CSU-Pueblo's offense with 14.5 points per game while three others also average double-digit scoring numbers. Khiya Adams is the leading rebounder with 7.2 boards per game. JaNaiya Davis and Knafelc have combined for nearly 120 assists on the season. As a team, CSU-Pueblo ranks in the nation's top-25 in total blocked shots and total free-throw attempts. The ThunderWolves lead the RMAC in total blocked shots, blocked shots per game, free-throw attempts and free-throws made.
 
WHAT'S A THUNDERWOLF?
Colorado State University-Pueblo was previously known as the University of Southern Colorado with Indians as the nickname of its athletics teams. However according to CSU-Pueblo's athletics website, "The University of Southern Colorado (now Colorado State University-Pueblo) adopted the "ThunderWolf" as its mascot prior to the 1995-96 academic school year. The ThunderWolf came to life as USC looked to modernize its image following over 60 years of being known as the "Indians." The term Thunder Wolf (Thunderwolf/Thunderwolves) is part of a number of pop-culture references, but is not actually part of the existing animal kingdom. In the context of CSUP, the thunderwolf is a mythical creature intertwined in legend with colors reflecting Colorado's diverse geography.
 
MASSARI ARENA
The home of CSU-Pueblo's basketball, volleyball and wrestling teams re-opened in 2008 following a two-year, $12 million renovation. Seating 3,900 fans, the arena features one section of premium chairback seating and a luxury box overlooking the arena dubbed "The Wolf Pack Room." The original arena was constructed in 1971 and boasts the RMAC attendance records for men's basketball and wrestling. Massari Arena has also played host to multiple NCAA Regional Basketball Tournaments and two NCAA Division II Wrestling National Championships along with numerous RMAC tournaments.
 
SCOUTING NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS
Similar to Chadron State, the Cowgirls of New Mexico Highlands are relatively easy to look past on paper, but still present a very real threat playing on their home court. NMHU has garnered half of its wins at home this season with only five losses inside the John A. Wilson Complex. The Cowgirls are currently riding a three-game losing streak, but their last win came on the road at Chadron State, 58-56. Jordyn Lewis is the leading scorer, dropping buckets at a rate of 14.1 points per contest. However, Allyah George is arguably the player to watch with 10.9 points per game while leading the team with 6.1 rebounds per game. The most notable stat for NMHU is their personal fouls per game which ranks #5 in the nation while also sitting #7 in the country in fewest total fouls.
 
GETTING TO KNOW THE COWGIRLS
The nickname for New Mexico Highlands' athletics teams is Cowboys for the men and Cowgirls for the women. Defined as a girl or woman who tends cattle or horses, or who is a rodeo performer – cowgirl is credited with first being used in 1884, just nine years before NMHU was established. In popular culture, Lucille Mulhall was declared the "first cowgirl" by President Roosevelt. Annie Oakley and Calamity Jane also lay famous claim to the name cowgirl. Ironically, no women, or cowgirls, are listed as notable alumni on NMHU's Wikipedia page. However, politician Rebecca Vigil-Giron earned her undergraduate degree at New Mexico Highlands before going on to Harvard. Additionally, Ann Nolan Clark was a native of Las Vegas, N.M., attended NMHU and went on to win the 1953 Newberry Medal for her writing.
 
JOHN A. WILSON COMPLEX
Serving as the home of NMHU volleyball and basketball, the John A. Wilson Complex boasts seating for 4,250 fans while also housing the student weightroom, wellness center and recreational activities area. While there is also a John A. Wilson District Building in Washington, D.C., the two are not known to be associated. Those associated with NMHU also refer to their arena as just the Wilson Complex.
 
SERIES HISTORY
The Orediggers are 18-36 in the all-time series against CSU-Pueblo with their last win over "The Pack" coming Feb. 20, 2016. Mines won that game 63-52 at Pueblo inside Massari Arena before eventually advancing to the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Against NMHU, the Orediggers are 29-33 and currently riding a seven-game winning streak against the Cowgirls. Mines' last loss to NMHU was Dec. 6, 2014 – nearly half a decade ago. Last season, the Orediggers combined to go 2-1 in a pair of games against NMHU and one against CSU-Pueblo. Nicole Archambeau notched a double-double in the first matchup against the Cowgirls and Anna Kollmorgen dished out four assists against the ThunderWolves.
 
BACK TO WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
While Orediggers through and through, Mines' assistant coaches Ashleigh Ackerman and Leslie Seymour boast a special tie to CSU-Pueblo as alumni, former players and members of the CSU-Pueblo Athletics Hall of Fame. The duo's induction came last year as part of the 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2010 teams. Ackerman played on two of those teams while Seymour played on one and coached three of them. Those teams served as the foundation of the dynasty that is ThunderWolves' women's basketball with 10 NCAA Tournament appearances in the last 13 years.
 
PINTO KEEPS ROLLIN'
True freshman Denali Pinto leads the Orediggers in scoring so far this season, averaging 13.4 points per game. Over the last four years, only one other player has averaged more points per game in one season – Emily Bailey. The Boulder, Colo., native is on pace to become Mines' first freshman to average double-digit scoring since Ashley Gronewoller in the 2002-03 season. Pinto's single-game high this year is 24 points against Dixie State. She has one double-double, 11 games in double digits with three games over 20 points. The freshman guard also leads the Orediggers in blocks with 14 on the season at a pace of 0.9 per game.
 
RMAC RUNDOWN
Mines' women currently sit in a four-way tie for sixth place in the RMAC standings. Even with the Orediggers are Black Hills State, Colorado Christian and UCCS. Mines is currently 2-1 against those three teams. At the top of the standings is Colorado Mesa, undefeated in RMAC play. Westminster sits #2 at 12-1 in league action. CSU-Pueblo is all alone in third with MSU Denver and Western Colorado tied for fourth. If the season ended today, one of the teams in the tie for sixth would be left out of the RMAC Tournament. Just one game out of the conference postseason are Dixie State and Regis at 6-7 in the league.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
The Orediggers return home Feb. 8-9 for its Play4Kay game against Chadron State Friday and Rock The Lock Saturday as they host MSU Denver. Live stats and video will be available at MinesAthletics.com.