GOLDEN, Colo. – Sophomore guard Denali Pinto led the Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team to a 73-65 win over MSU Denver on Friday night thanks to a record-breaking performance at the free-throw line.
 
Pinto finished the night 14-14 at the charity stripe which breaks Mines' record for free-throw percentage in a single game. The mark also fueled Pinto's 28-point outburst as she went 6-9 from the field including 2-for-2 from long range. She added six rebounds and two assists to her resume as well. Liz Holter joined her teammate in double digits with 13 points while collecting four rebounds and dishing out three assists. Courtney Stanton added 12 points to the effort and Heidi Hammond scored 11 thanks to 75-percent shooting from behind the three-point line. Defensively, Sammy Van Sickle proved to be a nightmare for the opposition. She racked up four steals and notched two blocks while grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out three assists. No other player on the court had more steals, blocks or rebounds than Van Sickle.
 
As a team, Mines (11-6, 8-4 RMAC) thrived on defense and long-range shooting. The Orediggers finished 8-for-17 from behind the arc and converted 26 points off of 18 turnovers by MSU Denver (7-11, 6-6 RMAC). Mines' 18 forced turnovers also included 14 steals for the home team. The Roadrunners shot nearly 50 percent from the field and 80 percent at the free-throw line. However, ball security and a 22-percent mark from three-point range proved too much. While MSU Denver racked up 36 points in the paint, it managed just a pair of three-point baskets over 40 minutes of action. With the win, the Orediggers remain tied for fourth place in the RMAC standings with Fort Lewis and Black Hills State. The Roadrunners fall into a tie for eighth place with Colorado Christian.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The sun set on Golden, Colo., following a day that saw temperatures near 60 degrees. On the campus of Mines, the Orediggers and Roadrunners rolled into Lockridge Arena boasting back-to-back wins after 2-0 weekends on the road. However, only one team could emerge with a winning streak on Friday evening and it became clear early that neither program would give up easily. The opening quarter alone saw three ties and four lead changes. Mines shot just 33 percent and MSU Denver came out firing 66 percent from the field. However, three steals from Van Sickle, nine points from Pinto and five more from Stanton kept Mines within four points at 16-20 after 10 minutes of action.
 
In the second quarter, both defenses continued flexing on each other. Neither team cracked 40 percent shooting, but Mines benefited from 11 free-throw opportunities. After converting six of those chances, the Orediggers found themselves within three points in the final minutes of the half. McKale Grant forced a turnover and earned a steal with two seconds remaining. That led to an inbound pass from Grant to Holter in the corner. Holter fired up the three-point shot and watched it swish through the net as the halftime buzzer sounded. Official replay confirmed the play and both teams headed to the locker room tied, 30-30.
 
The second half was all Mines. There were just two ties and one lead change, which all took place in the first six minutes of the third quarter. At the 4:15 mark, Loralee Stock hit a free throw to give the Orediggers a 39-38 edge and the home team did not look back. MSU Denver pulled within two points on multiple occasions, but Pinto and Hammond teamed up for 28 points over the final two quarters. In fact, Hammond was a perfect 3-for-3 from long range in the second half. Her three-point basket at the 4:11 mark in the fourth period gave Mines its largest lead of the game at 67-54. The home team closed out the game at the free-throw line. Pinto's second-half performance of 17 points and four rebounds led all players in the game.
 
COACH'S COMMENT
"I was proud of how our girls were able to stick to the game plan throughout the night," said Mines Head Coach Brittany Simpson. "At the same time, they were also able to make the adjustments we asked them too. I was also proud of our bench tonight."
 
NOTABLES
- The Orediggers are now 26-54 in the all-time series against MSU Denver, but own two straight wins and a 6-3 mark over the last nine meetings.
- Mines' 73 points are the most its scored against the Roadrunners since also scoring 73 on Feb. 25, 2017. The last time the Orediggers dropped more than 73 on MSU Denver was Dec. 18, 1999.
- The Orediggers' 14 steals are the most they've had in a single game this season.
- Van Sickle now has three different four-steal games in her career at Mines.
- Hammond's 11-point outburst pushed the senior past 330 points for her career. She also moved over 100 rebounds for her career.
- Holter moved over 300 points for her career including 171 at Incarnate Word and 135 at Mines.
- Pinto sprinted past 700 points for her career. With 28 against MSU Denver on Friday, the sophomore now has 723 in less than two seasons.
- Pinto boasts at least 18 points in seven consecutive games. She's also scored in double digits in eight straight games.
- Pinto's 14-14 mark at the free-throw line not only broke the Oredigger program record but also tied for #4 in the RMAC for single-game free-throw percentage. Only four women in RMAC history have gone at least 14-14 at the free-throw line.
- Head Coach Brittany Simpson is 124-94 in eight years at the helm.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
The Orediggers host Chadron State at 5 p.m. on Saturday night inside Lockridge Arena. 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. Fans can also follow Mines Volleyball on Twitter using the handle @MinesVolleyball.