Mines (16-6, 13-4 RMAC) at New Mexico Highlands (1-21, 0-17 RMAC) – Friday, 5 p.m. – Las Vegas, N.M. [Live Stats] [Live Video]
Mines (16-6, 13-4 RMAC) at CSU-Pueblo (5-17, 4-13 RMAC) – Saturday, 5:30 p.m. – Pueblo, Colo. [Live Stats] [Live Video]
 

---

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".
 
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
This weekend, the Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team closes out a four-game road trip by heading to New Mexico Highlands on Friday and CSU-Pueblo on Saturday. The Orediggers boast an eight-game winning streak which makes them the hottest team in the conference. Additionally, Mines sits tied for #2 in the RMAC standings with Western Colorado. With five games remaining in the regular season, the next two days mark an opportunity to clinch a berth in the league tournament with the potential to settle into the top four in the league. However, only three games separate #2 and #7 in the standings which means every win matters.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Mines started its four-game road swing last weekend with contests at Chadron State and MSU Denver. On Friday, the Orediggers ground out a 63-57 victory over the Eagles behind 31 points from Denali Pinto and 11 rebounds from Sammy Van Sickle. On Saturday, Mines made it back through the snow and proceeded to take down MSU Denver, 69-58. Pinto scored 24 more while Liz Holter tallied 19 and Van Sickle had a 10-point, 11-rebound double-double. The 2-0 weekend marks the first time the Orediggers have won eight consecutive games since the 2015-16 campaign when they ran off 13 straight on the way to the RMAC's regular-season title.
 
SCOUTING NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS
The Cowgirls of New Mexico Highlands welcome Mines to town with an overall record of 1-21 while sitting 0-17 in conference play. With that mark, NMHU is mathematically out of contention for a spot in the RMAC Tournament. However, it is senior weekend for the Cowgirls which could bring a little extra pop to their performance. That being said, Highlands has lost seven straight games by at least 20 points. A 72-65 loss at Chadron State marks NMHU's last single-digit margin. The Cowgirls' lone win of the season came on Nov. 18 in a 66-59 victory over Northern New Mexico College. Statistically, Jordyn Lewis continues to lead her team in scoring at 15.5 points per game. Maiah Rivas tops the team list in assists with 74 and steals with 42 while putting up 10.3 points per game. Ashley Antone leads on the glass with 5.1 boards per game. She also scores 11.9 points per game. Nationally, NMHU ranks #4 in fewest fouls and fouls per game.
 
COWGIRL LOWDOWN
If you're just tuning in, The nickname for New Mexico Highlands' athletics teams is Cowboys for the men and Cowgirls for the women. Defined as a girl or woman who tends cattle or horses, or who is a rodeo performer – cowgirl is credited with first being used in 1884, just nine years before NMHU was established. In popular culture, Lucille Mulhall was declared the "first cowgirl" by President Roosevelt. Annie Oakley and Calamity Jane also lay famous claim to the name cowgirl. Ironically, no women, or cowgirls, are listed as notable alumni on NMHU's Wikipedia page. However, politician Rebecca Vigil-Giron earned her undergraduate degree at New Mexico Highlands before going on to Harvard. Additionally, Ann Nolan Clark was a native of Las Vegas, N.M., attended NMHU and went on to win the 1953 Newberry Medal for her writing.
 
JOHN A. WILSON COMPLEX
Serving as the home of NMHU basketball volleyball, the John A. Wilson Complex touts seating for 4,250 fans while also housing the student weight room, wellness center and recreational activities area. While there is also a John A. Wilson District Building in Washington, D.C., the two are not known to be associated. Those affiliated with NMHU also refer to their arena as just the Wilson Complex.
 
SCOUTING CSU-PUEBLO
At 5-17 overall and 3-14 in the conference, CSU-Pueblo needs to go 5-0 over the next three weekends to even have a shot at making the RMAC Tournament. Currently, the ThunderWolves are riding a four-game skid. However, if "The Pack" can take down UCCS on Friday night, Mines will face a team that holds a glimmer of hope for the postseason. CSU-Pueblo's last win came on Jan. 25 at home against Black Hills State by a score of 69-63. The ThunderWolves also dropped five straight starting Jan. 3 and lasting until Jan. 18. Individually, the duo of JaNaiya Davis and Sydney Williams lead "The Pack" behind 15.9 and 11.7 points per game, respectively. Williams also leads in rebounding thanks to 8.2 boards per game. Davis touts 97 assists, 53 steals and 20 blocks over 21 games. As a team, CSU-Pueblo ranks #11 in the nation in total blocks and blocked shots per game.
 
SERIOUSLY – THUNDERWOLVES AREN'T REAL
Those who read the preview for the last meeting between the Orediggers and CSU-Pueblo are now fully aware that ThunderWolves are not real animals. Further research reveals additional ties to mythology. According to the always reliable Wikipedia, ThunderWolves may also be tied to Raiju or thunder beast. Defined as a legendary creature from Japanese mythology, Raiju features a body of lighting with the form of a white and blue wolf. So CSU-Pueblo almost got it. Known to the Japanese as the companion to Raijin, the Shinto god of lightning, Raiju is considered generally calm and harmless but can fly about as a ball of lightning. So that's kind of cool.

MASSARI ARENA
The home of CSU-Pueblo's basketball, volleyball and wrestling teams re-opened in 2008 following a two-year, $12 million renovation. Seating 3900 fans, the arena features one section of premium chairback seating and a luxury box overlooking the arena dubbed "The Wolf Pack Room." The original arena was constructed in 1971 and boasts the RMAC attendance records for men's basketball and wrestling. Massari Arena has also played host to multiple NCAA Regional Basketball Tournaments and two NCAA Division II Wrestling National Championships along with numerous RMAC tournaments.
 
SERIES HISTORY
The last time Mines faced NMHU was Feb. 1 in a 89-46 Oredigger win in which Liz Holter broke the program's single-game assists record. Six individuals scored in double figures for Mines including Holter notching the 13-point, 13 assist double-double. That victory improved the Orediggers to 31-34 in the all-time series as they ride a 10-game winning streak against the Cowgirls. Mines and CSU-Pueblo last threw down on Jan. 31. The Orediggers won by a score of 68-47, claiming their fourth straight win over the ThunderWolves. It marks Mines' longest winning streak against CSU-Pueblo in program history. The Orediggers are 7-3 against CSU-Pueblo over the last 10 meetings and sit 23-36 in the all-time series.
 
RMAC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Denali Pinto earned RMAC Offensive Player of the Week honors on Monday thanks to 27.5 points per game last weekend. It's Pinto's second weekly honor this season and fourth of her career. The Boulder, Colo., native led the entire RMAC in scoring with 31 points on Friday night at Chadron Sate followed by 24 more on Saturday at MSU Denver. Pinto also added 2.0 assists and 6.5 rebounds per contest while shooting over 50 percent from the floor and 55 percent from long range. Thanks to her scoring outburst, Pinto continues to lead the RMAC with 447 points. She currently leads the entire South Central Region thanks to 20.3 points per game. The next closest player in the conference averages three points less. Pinto boasts more than 800 points for her career as a sophomore and is the only Oredigger to ever record three games of 30 points or more.
 
BATTLE FOR #2
Unless top-ranked Colorado Mesa loses four of its last five games, Mines finds itself in a heated battle for second place in the RMAC standings. The Orediggers' current nemesis is Western Colorado sitting 13-4 in the conference in 15-6 overall. If the season ended today, Mines would become the #3 seed due to its head-to-head loss to the Mountaineers. However, the season doesn't end today and Western Colorado still has to play Fort Lewis and Colorado Mesa. If Mines continues its winning streak and WCU loses, the Orediggers will be the #2 seed in the RMAC Tournament. However, if the Orediggers drop even one game, the variables become too great to count. Bottom line, the schedule plays in Mines' favor, but the squad still has to keep winning. Back to the season ending today. If it did, the Orediggers would host Fort Lewis in the first round of the tournament.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
Mines returns to Lockridge Arena for Senior Night and Family Weekend while hosting Black Hills State and South Dakota Mines Feb. 21-22. 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.