LAKEWOOD, Colo. – Sophomore Sammy Van Sickle pushed the Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team to a 68-52 RMAC win at Colorado Christian on Friday night thanks to 26 points and 11 rebounds inside the CCU Event Center.
 
Van Sickle's numbers led all players on the court in scoring and rebounding. She finished 9-15 from the field including 4-6 from three-point range while going 4-4 at the free-throw line. Fellow sophomore Denali Pinto was right behind with 17 points. She also added three rebounds and three assists. Liz Holter coordinated the action behind five assists while racking up nine rebounds and nine points as well.
 
The win marks Mines' first RMAC victory of the season. As a team, the Orediggers (4-4, 1-2 RMAC) were a perfect 11-11 at the free-throw line. The visitors also shot 42 percent from the field and 38 percent from long range. Meanwhile, Colorado Christian (1-9, 1-2 RMAC) only converted 50 percent of its free-throw opportunities. The Cougars did benefit from 16 points off the bench. However, Mines tallied 24 points in the point and 20 points off 15 CCU turnovers.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
While heavy snow fell in the mountains, another picturesque sunset painted the skies over Lakewood. With that as the backdrop, fans filed into the CCU Event Center to see the Cougars take an early, 2-0 lead. The advantage quickly dissipated after a layup by Courtney Stanton and a three-point bucket off the hand of Van Sickle. Pinto extended the first-quarter lead to 7-4 with 6:45 to go in the opening period. The, Colorado Christian burst out on a 12-2 run to take a 16-9 advantage. Mines responded by closing the quarter with a 5-0 run to make it 16-14 at the break. Van Sickle and Pinto teamed up for the last five points of the period.
 
The second quarter was all Van Sickle. She started the frame with back-to-back three-points, giving the Orediggers a 20-16 lead. She finished the period with eight points and one rebound. However, CCU matched Mines' 15 points with 10 of their own to stay within three points at halftime, trailing 29-26. That would be all the closer CCU would get. In the second half, the Orediggers never tied and never trailed. Mines outscored the home team 39-26. Van Sickle and Pinto combined for 25 points, and Holter supported the cause with seven rebounds. The Orediggers' final 20 minutes were fueled 13-27 shooting from the floor and a 10-10 mark at the free-throw line. Mines' defense brought it home by limiting CCU to just eight made shots. Were it not for a three-point basket at the buzzer, Mines would have held the Cougars to only eight points in the fourth quarter.

COACH'S COMMENT
"This was a tough game," said Mines Head Coach Brittany Simpson. "But, I was pleased with how our team stuck to the game plan and were able to execute in the second half."

NOTABLES
- Mines is 35-23 in the all-time series against Colorado Christian and boasts a four-game winning streak against the Cougars.
- In their last two meetings, the Orediggers have outscored CCU by a margin of 139-88.
- Van Sickle's double-double marked the first of her career. Her 26 points were also a career high.
- Holter's five assists are the most for the junior transfer in an Oredigger uniform. Her nine rebounds also mark a single-game high at Mines.
- Pinto surpassed 500 points for her career in Friday night's victory.
- Mines has shot 100 percent at the free-throw line twice in the 2019-20 season and boast a mark of 80.9 percent on the year.
- The Orediggers' 68 points against CCU mark the second-highest total for Mines this season.
- All four of Mines' wins in 2019-20 have come by double digits.
- The Orediggers' average margin of victory in those four games is 13.25.
- On Friday the 13th, Mines touts a record of 2-1 over the last 44 years.
- Head Coach Brittany Simpson is 117-92 in eight years at the helm.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines faces Regis on Saturday at 3 p.m. in Denver at Regis Fieldhouse. Live stats and video of the game 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. Fans can also follow Mines Volleyball on Twitter using the handle @MinesVolleyball.