Colorado School of Mines at Colorado Christian, Friday, 7 p.m. [RMAC Network][Live Stats]
Colorado School of Mines at Regis, Saturday, 5 p.m. [RMAC Network][Live Stats]
 

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THIS WEEKEND
Mines hits the road for the first time this season, but won't have to go far as they continue RMAC play at Colorado Christian and Regis. Friday's CCU game will tip off at 7 p.m. while Saturday's tilt at Regis will be a 5 p.m. start.

LAST WEEKEND
Mines picked up its first RMAC win of the season last Friday, pulling away and staying away from Western Colorado in an 85-67 win. The Orediggers wrapped an 11-2 run around halftime to take control of the game led by Mason Baker's 19 points. Baker went 9-for-10 at the line and had six assists. Brendan Sullivan returned to the lineup and scored 16 with eight rebounds, while Paul O'Leary scored a career-high 12 off the bench and Titus Reed also had 12.

On Saturday against Colorado Mesa, Baker poured in 28 points, Sullivan had 18, and Titus Reed scored 17 as the Orediggers won 87-76. Mines went 26-for-28 at the line including 9-for-9 by Baker. Mines took control in the first half and held off CMU the rest of the way despite the Mavericks making it as close as five in the second half; Baker and Sullivan combined to go 10-for-10 at the line in the final minute to seal the win.

MINES QUICK LOOK
The Orediggers are now 4-3 overall and 2-1 in RMAC play, and are outscoring teams by 8.8 points per game with a +4.6 rebounding margin. Mason Baker is fourth in the RMAC in scoring (20.6 ppg), second in assists (5.3 apg), and first in three-point percentage (.536) and free throw percentage (.938); he's also added 4.7 rebounds per game from his guard spot and averaged 23.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game last weekend. Brendan Sullivan has impressed in his sophomore season to the tune of 17.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, while Michael Glen continues to produce big with 12.3 points, a team-high 7.1 rebounds, and a block per game. Titus Reed's 11.1 points and 1.1 blocks per game have been a shot in the arm for Mines this season as well.

SCOUTING COLORADO CHRISTIAN [Series: Mines, 34-13]
CCU has struggled to start the season, now sitting at 0-8 overall and 0-2 in the RMAC. They're coming off an overtime heartbreaker against MSU Denver on Dec. 7, 81-76, in which they held the lead, lost it, rallied to force overtime, then saw the game slip away in the final two minutes. The Cougars have a -12.6 point scoring differential and -7.1 rebounding margin per game. They have three players averaging 10+ points and 5+ rebounds per game led by Justin Engesser (13.9 ppg/8.0 rpg) and Jake Hornick (12.5 ppg/5.6 rpg/4.6 apg). Mines leads the all-time series 34-13 and has won 12 straight dating back to 2013-14, including a 97-80 win in their only meeting last year; Ben Clare and Austin Means combined for 42 points in that game as Means sank 20 on a 9-for-10 night.

SCOUTING REGIS [Series: Regis, 68-64]
The Rangers, picked third in the RMAC preseason poll, have certainly lived up to expectations this season at 7-1 and 2-0 in the RMAC, and are receiving votes in this week's NABC Top 25. Regis started conference play with a 66-65 win over MSU Denver and 97-89 win at Chadron State, both on the road; they play UCCS Friday night. The Rangers hold opponents to 72.9 points per game (+7.2) and are outrebounding teams by 4.9 boards a night. Christian Little, the RMAC Defensive Player of the Week, leads Regis averaging 15.0 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, while Toni Rocak has been outstanding with 14.8 points and 5.1 rebounds a game. The series has been back-and-forth over the last few years with it standing at 3-3 in their last six meetings; Mines won 80-73 at home last year thanks to Ben Sonnefeld's 25 points and seven assists. Michael Glen had 15 and 7 and Mason Baker 10 and 7 in that game.

WE'RE NOT SUPERSTITIOUS… BUT WE'RE A LITTLE STITIOUS
The fear of Friday the 13th is known as "triskaidekaphobia" and is believed to date back to the Middle Ages. As it turns out, Friday the 13th hasn't been that bad for the Orediggers. Although Mines and CCU have never played on the date, the Orediggers have played 28 times overall, and has gone 10-18 in those games. It certainly seemed like the curse was real in the early decades of the program as Mines lost 12 straight Friday the 13ths between 1931 and 1961, but since 1967, the Orediggers have actually outpaced the program winning percentage going 10-6. Mines' last three appearances on the date have all been wins: on Feb. 13, 2015 against Black Hills State, Nov. 13, 2015 against St. Mary's, and Jan. 13, 2017 against Colorado Mesa.

HEY, FREE POINTS
Mason Baker has always been an excellent free-throw shooter with a career .886 percentage, but this season he's elevated his foul shooting to another level. Baker leads the RMAC at .938 (45-of-48), which is on the mark for Mines' season record of .935 set by Travis Starns in 1998-99; his current career percentage is one tick better than Brian Muller's .885 program record.

LOOKING AHEAD
Mines will make its first trip to Hawaii since 2007 for three games in the Hoops In Hawaii Classic next week, starting with Saint Martin's on Dec. 19 in Honolulu.