DENVER, Colo. – Sophomore Ashley Steffeck played the hero for the Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team on Thursday evening as the Orediggers grabbed a 50-48 victory at Regis.
 
Steffeck hit a driving layup with two seconds to play in the game, giving Mines the two-point advantage before a Regis timeout. The Rangers' last-second effort fell short and the Orediggers came away with the win. The guard's layup also gave her 12 points to match teammates Raven Herrera and Loralee Stock for the team high. Steffeck rounded out her game resume with eight rebounds, three assists and one steal. Herrera also grabbed eight rebounds, and Courtney Stanton chipped in 11 points for a quartet of double-digit scorers. Stanton led the team defensively with three steals.
 
Statistically, Mines (3-0, 2-0 RMAC) was outperformed in nearly every category as Regis (1-2, 1-1 RMAC) shot nearly 40 percent from the field and grabbed 45 rebounds. The Orediggers made up the difference with defense and size. Mines produced eight steals and forced 16 turnovers by the Rangers. Comparatively, RU had just two steals and only forced seven turnovers by the Orediggers. Additionally, Mines won the battle in the paint by a margin of 40-22. Regis attempted 43 shots with 24 of those coming from behind the arc. Also of note was a 19-point, 18-rebound performance by RU's Whitney Jacob.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
While Steffeck may have stolen the headline, heroics came from everywhere for the Orediggers on a cloudy, chilly Thursday evening. First up were Herrera and Stock. That duo teamed up to help Mines race to a 6-0 lead in the first three minutes and a 14-2 run to start the game inside a mostly empty Regis Fieldhouse. The Rangers did their best to stop the early onslaught, but after 10 minutes of action, Herrera and Stock had combined for 10 points, four rebounds and two steals. In fact, Stock accounted for the first six points of the game to help the Orediggers take a 14-8 lead into the second quarter.
 
Despite its fast start, Mines fell behind right before halftime due to a 9-0 run by the Rangers. The Orediggers did benefit from Steffeck's only three-point basket of the game, and Shelby Nichols added a layup. That production proved insufficient as the home team carried a 24-19 lead into the break. Needless to say, there were no heroes to be found for Mines in the second period.
 
However, the intermission remedied the Orediggers' problems. Coming out of the locker room, Stanton stepped front and center. She singlehandedly put Mines on a 5-0 run thanks to a layup and three-point basket from the top of the key while giving the Orediggers a 32-30 lead in the process. Her production resulted in seven of her 11 points and helped the visitors outscore Regis, 13-8, in the third quarter. With 10 minutes to play, the contest returned to even at 32-32.
 
Enter Ashley Steffeck. She took control of the fourth quarter and led all players on the floor with seven points while grabbing three rebounds and one assist. She shot 50-percent from the floor on 3-of-6 production and played all 10 minutes. In fact, Steffeck's production fueled an offensive outburst that saw both teams combine for 34 points in the fourth quarter. However, the close nature of the game proved deceptive as Mines never trailed in the final period. Regis managed to tie the score on three different occasions, but Steffeck closed the door and the Orediggers exited the fieldhouse with victory.
 
COACH'S COMMENT
"I'm just so proud of how hard we played tonight," said Head Coach Brittany Simpson. "It was a tough situation and our team responded. Our defensive effort was on point tonight."
 
NOTABLES
- Mines is 3-0 for the first time since 2001. It's just the second 3-0 start in program history.
- The Orediggers have won four straight games over the Rangers, matching their longest winning streak in the series' 79-game history.
- Stock made the first start of her career on Thursday night, and her 12 points marked a career high for the sophomore. Her previous high was 10 points against Western Colorado last December.
- Steffeck has led the team or tied for the team high in scoring in all three games this season. She now has 42 points at a clip of 14.0 points per game. She's also up to 16 steals on the year.
- Herrera's 12 points at Regis put her over 400 points for her career.
- Stanton surpassed 600-career points with her 11-point outing on Thursday.
- Mines earned its win over Regis without the services of Denali Pinto, Sammy Van Sickle and Megan Van de Graaf.
- Coach Simpson is 135-98 in her ninth season as head coach.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines' next scheduled game is Friday, Dec. 18, against Western Colorado at 5 p.m. inside Lockridge Arena. Not spectators will be allowed, but live stats and video will be offered for free at www.minesathletics.com.
 
Fans can keep up with Mines women's basketball on Twitter and Instagram at @MinesWBB. They can also keep up with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all year long on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics.