SALT LAKE CITY – The Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team erased a 12-point, third-quarter deficit on Saturday evening as the Orediggers roared back to a 56-51, comeback win at Westminster.
 
Ashley Steffeck paved the path to victory with 16 points, six rebounds three steals, two blocks and one assist. Her scoring led all players in the game as she went 5-for-8 from the field and 4-for-4 at the free-throw lines. Steffeck was the only Oredigger in double digits offensively, but Raven Herrera and Sammy Van Sickle both contributed nine points apiece. Herrera also added seven rebounds and Van Sickle was tops in the game with four steals and two blocks. Denali Pinto topped it off for Mines with seven points, seven rebounds and four assists.
 
Mines (9-2, 8-2 RMAC) snapped Westminster's five-game winning streak and extended its own run to four straight victories. The key to the Orediggers' win was 39-32 rebound advantage and just seven turnovers. The Griffins (5-2, 5-2 RMAC) produced zero steals, but shot 42 percent from the field and blocked seven shots. Mines complimented its ball security by notching 13 steals and forcing 17 WC turnovers. The victory gives the Orediggers sole possession of second place in the RMAC standings, less than one game away from the top spot.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
As snow fell outside in Salt Lake City, Mines strolled into Behnken Field House filled with confidence after a historic win over Colorado Mesa on Friday evening. The Orediggers' Saturday opponent proved no less formidable as the visitors looked at a hot-shooting Westminster squad ranking #1 in the nation in field-goal shooting percentage.
 
Two scoreless minutes opened the game before both teams starting clicking on offense. Westminster hit two three-pointers and a layup. Mines used a layup, free throws and a Pinto three-pointer to keep it close with an 8-7 deficit for the visitors. What followed was a pair of 5-0 runs for the Griffins as the home team surged to an 18-11 advantage. The Orediggers answered with their bread and butter – defense. A series of rebounds for Mines and a couple forced turnovers kept either team from scoring for the last 3:33 of the opening quarter.
 
The second period opened with WC still holding an 18-11 lead. Courtney Stanton broke the scoring silence with a spinning layup in the block and pulled Mines within 18-13. She also sank a free throw to make it 20-14 after a Westminster layup. By the end of the second frame, Megan Van de Graaf had added four more points, Pinto and Steffeck added two points apiece, and the visitors found themselves within six points at 28-22 after shooting just 20 percent from the field through the first 20 minutes. Two of Van de Graaf's points came on a jumper at the buzzer, giving Mines 11 points in the period.
 
After the break, both teams exchanged a couple baskets before Mines pieced together a 10-0 run. Van Sickle sparked the outburst with a three-point basket that touched every inch of the rim. Loralee Stock took the momentum and put in a layup along with two free throws. Van Sickle drained another three-point basket to force a Westminster timeout. However, the pause did very little for the Griffins. Herrera picked up the baton and banked in a bucket to tie the game. After a WC miss, Pinto threaded a pass to Van Sickle and Mines took its first lead of the game with 3:45 to play in the third period. The Griffins had not scored for for more than three minutes. Baskets were exchanged, but as the third quarter came to a close, the Orediggers had outscored the Griffins 21-10 including a 23-4 run. Mines had also converted 50 percent of its shots in the quarter. The result was a 43-38 lead for the visitors.
 
The final period was an offensive stalemate where the Orediggers flexed their defensive muscle. Mines would not surrender its lead thanks to stalwart defensive play that produced seven steals and eight Westminster turnovers. The Griffins still shot 55.6 percent from the field and the visitors only shot 25 percent. Steffeck offset the difference by scoring nine points while playing all 10 minutes of the fourth quarter. She hit the final two free throws in the last 15 seconds to seal the win for Mines.
 
COACH'S COMMENT
"Westminster is a very talented team, and they run great stuff," said Head Coach Brittany Simpson. "So tonight, our defense was tested. Our girls really had to dial in, and they stepped up to the challenge. We made some big plays down the stretch and we were able to play under control. I'm very happy for them"
 
NOTABLES
- Mines took a 5-4 lead in the all-time series against Westminster with Saturday's win.
- Friday and Saturday marked the Orediggers' first back-to-back games against teams with records over .500 this season, and they went 2-0 on the road trip.
- Mines now boasts a 3-1 record in Salt Lake City against WC.
- Both of the Orediggers' win this weekend were the first home loss for each opponent.
- Mines led for just 13:21 of Saturday's contest while Westminster held the lead for 23:24.
- The Orediggers went 3-for-3 from long range as part of their 23-4 run in the third quarter.
- Steffeck's 16 points put her over 100 points on the season. She's averaging 10.1 points per game.
- Mines is 7-0 when holding opposing teams to less than 55 points so far this season.
- All eight Orediggers that played against Westminster recorded at least one point and one rebound.
- At halftime of Saturday's game, a public Tweet was sent to "Premium College Apparel" dealer Homefield requesting help. It is unproven whether "Homefield Magic" played a part in the win.
- Coach Simpson is 141-100 in her ninth season as head coach.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines returns home to face CSU Pueblo and Adams State on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 29-30. No spectators are 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.