Mines (2-2) vs. Regis (2-3) – Saturday, 6 p.m. – Lockridge Arena – [Live Stats] [Live Video]
 

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GAME DAY INFO
New in 2019, fans can purchase digital tickets online in advance via Mines' new ticketing portal, or buy them at the gate on game day. Ticket pricing remains the same as 2018 at $10 for adults and $5 for seniors, military, and children. Mines students, faculty, and staff are free with their Blaster Card. No pets (except service animals) are permitted inside Lockridge Arena.
 
ON THE RMAC NETWORK
Every Mines home game and all RMAC contests 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".
 
COMIN' HOME
This Saturday, the Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team plays its first home game of the 2019-20 season. It comes against a familiar face in Regis University but will be a nonconference affair. Moved back one hour due to the Orediggers' second-round playoff football game, Saturday's showdown is also a doubleheader. Mines' men play the nightcap in their RMAC opener against UCCS. With high winds in the forecast and familiar faces on the court, Lockridge Arena will provide a warm haven for all Oredigger fans looking for more Mines action on Saturday evening.
 
FIRST WINS OF THE SEASON
Mines' women earned their first two wins of the season last weekend at the Sodexo Tip-Off Classic hosted by Seattle Pacific. The Orediggers opened the trip to Seattle with a 66-55 victory over the hosting Falcons. Sammy Van Sickle and Courtney Stanton combined for 28 points by way of 14 apiece. Liz Holter and Denali Pinto added 10 points each as well. Pinto also led on the boards with six rebounds and Van Sickle had two blocks and two steals. Additionally, Ashley Steffeck and Pinto notched three assists each. On Saturday, Mines earned its second win of the weekend courtesy of a 69-57 decision against Concordia-Portland. Pinto led all players on 28 points while Van Sickle led all players behind 15 rebounds. Stanton's four assists also led all players on the court.
 
SCOUTING REGIS
The Regis University Women's Basketball team makes the short trip to Golden one game under .500 at 2-3 on the season. While Saturday's game doesn't count towards the Rangers' RMAC record, it does give RU the chance to reach even on the year. Most recently, Regis made the same trip to Seattle as Mines. While there, the Rangers went 1-1 after a 76-65 loss to Concordia-Portland and a 62-53 win over Seattle Pacific. Regis also defeated UT-Permian Basin, 65-48, in its season opener before dropping contests to West Texas A&M and a nonconference matchup against CSU-Pueblo. Individually, Whitney Jacob is RU's scoring and rebounding leader. She averages 11.8 points and 8.8 boards per game. Emma Sterkel dishes out 2.8 assists per contest. Nationally, the Rangers rank #42 in three-point percentage defense as they hold opponents to 25 percent per game from long range.
 
RANGERS IN COLORADO
For those who don't know, Regis's athletics nickname is the Rangers. Many have probably heard of the law enforcement/military branches such as the Texas Rangers or Army Rangers. However, in Colorado, Rangers are more like the National Guard. Specifically, the Colorado Rangers Law Enforcement Shared Reserve – or CLER. It is an all-volunteer law enforcement agency that provides state certified reserve peace officers to assist local law enforcement agencies upon their request. It is actually the successor to the Colorado Mounted Rangers which sounds more Canadian than Coloradoan, but both were and are, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. There's plenty more history on the CLER, but we'll save that for later. However, other Ranger connoisseurs may recall the Denver Rangers which were a professional hockey team that lasted exactly two seasons in the late 1980's. Not to be forgotten is the Colorado Ranger which is a horse breed from the Colorado High Plains. And now you know.
 
LOCKRIDGE ARENA
Fondly referred to as "The Lock", Mines' home court for volleyball, men's basketball and women's basketball features seating for 3,000 at Oredigger home athletics events. The venue has also twice hosted the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball South Central Regional Tournament. Additionally, Lockridge Arena hosts numerous major campus events and has been graced by the presence of Barack Obama, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Bill Nye and many others.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Mines currently holds a record of 23-52 in the all-time series against Regis. The Orediggers and Rangers only met once last season. Mines won that contest by a margin of 65-60, and Denali Pinto scored 17 points. Two seasons ago, in 2017-18, the Orediggers posted a record of 1-2 against RU. That mark includes a 68-40 loss for Mines in the RMAC Tournament Quarterfinals inside Lockridge Arena.
 
RMAC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Oredigger sophomore Sammy Van Sickle won the RMAC Defensive Player of the Week award on Monday after her performance in Seattle. Van Sickle earned the first weekly award of her career after dominating the boards and opposing shooters over the weekend. She grabbed 20 rebounds to the tune of 10.0 rebounds per game and recorded two blocks along with two steals. Van Sickle grabbed both her steals and collected both blocks in Mines' 66-55 win over Seattle Pacific to start the weekend. The next night, she led all players with 15 rebounds against Concordia-Portland which also marked a career high. That performance led to a 69-57 victory to help the Orediggers to a 2-0 trip to Seattle. Now averaging 7.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game, Van Sickle ranks #6 and #7 in the RMAC, respectively.
 
AT THE CHARITY STRIPE
As a team, Mines ranks #12 in the nation in overall free-throw percentage. The Orediggers are shooting 80.8 percent on the year which also ranks #1 in the RMAC. That mark is fueled by Denali Pinto who ranks #10 in the nation in individual free-throw percentage. She's shooting 96.8 percent at the charity stripe thanks to 30 makes on 31 attempts. Additionally, Pinto's success at the line has led to 20.5 points per game. Her scoring per game ranks #1 in the RMAC and #26 in the nation. Pinto now boasts 82 points through four games in 2019-20 and 466 points in her career.
 
BREAK IT DOWN NOW
Despite its .500 record, Mines is currently outscoring its opponents 62.5-59.0 in 2019-20. The Orediggers hold their opponents to 37-percent shooting from the floor while converting over 38 percent of their own shots. Mines does struggle from long range due to a 22.1-percent average from behind the arc. However, the Orediggers make up for that shortcoming on the boards with a +6.2 rebounding margin (37.0 rpg – 30.8 rpg). Mines also boasts more steals and more blocks than its opponents while also touting a positive assist-to-turnover ratio. In comparison, Regis enters the weekend averaging 74.3 points per game on 44-percent shooting from the field. The intrigue grows thanks to the Rangers' average of 36.0 rebounds per game and 8.0 steals per game. Needless to say, Saturday evening should bring a tightly contested showdown.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
After Saturday, Mines stays home for its next two games. The Orediggers host Western Colorado on Dec. 6 and Colorado Mesa on Dec. 7 inside Lockridge Arena. Both contests tip off at 5 p.m. Live stats and video 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.