Mines (9-2, 8-2 RMAC) vs. CSU Pueblo (1-6, 1-6 RMAC) – Friday, 5:30 p.m. – Lockridge Arena [Live Stats] [Live Video]
 

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WIN STREAK ON THE LINE
The Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team rolls into the weekend touting a four-game winning streak as they host CSU Pueblo on Friday inside Lockridge Arena. Friday's matchup is Mines' only opportunity to extend its win streak this weekend after the postponement of Saturday's contest against Adams State. Additionally, the Oredigger women are the only show on the court Friday night after the men's game was postponed. Mines is off to its best start to a season in five years, and Friday's game will make them eligible for the NCAA and RMAC postseason. All of that and more is covered below.
 
NO SPECTATORS STILL STANDS
The Orediggers announced earlier this month the extension of the policy of spectators not being allowed at home games until further notice. Mines Athletics will continue to re-evaluate this policy for home games in the future as conditions allow. In the meantime, all games home and away are streamed live and for free on the RMAC Network, which is also available on the AppleTV, Roku, and AmazonFire app stores.
 
PREPARED FOR ANYTHING
The mantra for this season is "be prepared for anything." It has proven appropriate with eight changes to date for the women's team alone. At this point, previously postponed contests against Regis and Adams State are still outstanding. All programs involved are still working towards a makeup date. If a makeup date is not found, game will be declared a no contest. The men's side features a slew of their own changes. Most recently, the #1-ranked Oredigger men postponed their Friday game against CSU Pueblo, but return to action Saturday against Adams State. Changes will continue and will be announced at www.minesathletics.com and on Twitter at @MinesWBB and @MinesAthletics.
 
SWEEP ON THE ROAD
No, we're not talking about sweeping all the salt and winter-weather debris off the roads and highways. We're looking back at an incredible 2-0 weekend away from Golden in which Mines' women defeated Colorado Mesa and Westminster. The Orediggers earned a 58-50 victory on Friday over the Mavericks thanks to 13 points apiece from Raven Herrera and Sammy Van Sickle while Liz Holter added 10. Holter also chipped in seven rebounds, three steals and one assist while Van Sickle notched a block. It was Mines' first win in Grand Junction since 2008. Saturday brought about a 56-51, comeback win at Westminster. Ashley Steffeck led all players with 16 points along with three steals and two blocks. Herrera was big again with nine points and seven rebounds. The weekend road trip marked the first time this season the Orediggers have faced back-to-back opponents with a winning record.
 
SCOUTING CSU PUEBLO
The women out of Colorado State University at Pueblo were formerly a perennial powerhouse in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. That has change over the last few years, and this season's 1-6 mark overall and in conference play has The Pack in a tough spot. However, CSU Pueblo remains a tough opponent, carrying a pair of losses by single digits. The ThunderWolves' lone win came at home against UCCS by a margin of 62-50. Individually, veteran players Sydni Williams and JaNaiya Davis lead their team in scoring and rebounding. Williams boasts 14 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Davis checks in with 13.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per contest. Additionally, Davis owns 35 assists and grabs 3.1 steals per game which rank in the top-20 nationally. CSU Pueblo's bright spots as a team are blocked shots and turnovers committed, ranking 17th and 19th in NCAA Division II, respectively.
 
WHAT'S A THUNDERWOLF
We know this is on repeat, but explaining a ThunderWolf really never gets old. In short, it's a made up animal and the nickname for CSU Pueblo Athletics. In the context of CSU Pueblo, the ThunderWolf is a mythical creature intertwined in legend with colors reflecting Colorado's diverse geography. However, maybe a little history is in order. Colorado State University at Pueblo was previously known as the University of Southern Colorado with Indians as the nickname of its athletics teams. However according to CSU Pueblo's athletics website, "The University of Southern Colorado (now Colorado State University at Pueblo) adopted the "ThunderWolf" as its mascot prior to the 1995-96 academic school year. The ThunderWolf came to life as USC looked to modernize its image following over 60 years of being known as the "Indians." The term Thunder Wolf (Thunderwolf/Thunderwolves) is part of a number of pop-culture references, but, as previously mentioned, is not actually part of the existing animal kingdom.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Mines and CSU Pueblo face off in women's basketball for the 61st time this Friday. As previously mentioned, the ThunderWolves used to be a RMAC dynasty. Thus, they hold a 36-24 advantage in the all-time series. However, the Orediggers have come on strong as of late and boast a five-game win streak against The Pack. Mines hasn't lost to CSU Pueblo since Jan. 20, 2018, and sits 7-3 in the last 10 meetings between the teams. Most recently, the Orediggers went 2-0 against the ThunderWolves in the 2019-20 season. Mines won 68-47 in Golden thanks to Denali Pinto, Heidi Hammond, Courtney Stanton and Liz Holter all scoring in double figures. Then, on the road trip in Pueblo, the Orediggers exploded for a 100-65 victory featuring 24 points, seven rebounds and three assists from Pinto along with 19 points, nine rebounds, six assists, three steals and one block courtesy of Ashley Steffeck. It marks the first and only time that Mines has scored over 100 points in a single game.
 
STRONG START
While the circumstances of the 2020-21 season are far from normal, it's still worth noting Mines' impressive start. The last time the Orediggers started any season 9-2 was the 2015-16 campaign when Mines lost the first two games and then won 13 straight games. In the end, the Orediggers won the conference's regular-season title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Prior to that, Mines had started 9-2 and eventually 10-2 in 2009-10 and in 2004-05. In this century, the Orediggers have never started better than 9-2 through 11 games.
 
HALL OF FAMER ON STAFF
Leslie Seymour has served as an assistant coach for the Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team since 2012. Prior to her arrival in Golden, Seymour (formerly Haywood) played and coached at CSU Pueblo. From 2002-06, Seymour (then Haywood), played for The Pack and eventually helped the ThunderWolves win the 2006 RMAC Championship. After graduation, Seymour joined the coaching staff and helped CSU Pueblo win RMAC titles in 2008, 2009 and 2010 and advance to the NCAA Tournament four times. Three years ago, Seymour was inducted in to the CSU Pueblo Athletic Hall of Fame as part of the 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2010 teams. Former Mines assistant Ashleigh Ackerman was inducted with her. CSU Pueblo's website states, "Simply put, Haywood is a champion…" We would agree. All of that doesn't make Seymour any less of an Oredigger. It just makes Friday mean a little more.
 
RMAC LANDSCAPE
If not for postponements surrounding COVID-19, Mines would have had a shot to take over first place in the RMAC Standings this weekend. The Orediggers sit alone in second place in the conference rankings at 9-2 overall and 8-2 in RMAC play. Western Colorado is the only team ahead of them at 8-1 overall and 7-1 in the RMAC. The Mountaineers were originally scheduled for two tough games hosting Westminster and Colorado Mesa. However, those were postponed keeping WCU safe for now. On the bright side, Mines' game on Friday gives the Orediggers 11 of their originally scheduled contests which means Mines will be eligible for the conference and national postseason. Colorado Mesa (9-3 RMAC), Westminster (5-2 RMAC) and MSU Denver (6-3 RMAC) are all right behind the Orediggers in the conference race. Needless to say, every game counts more than ever before.
 
OREDIGGER GEMS
This week's Oredigger Gem focuses on the aforementioned 100-65 win at CSU Pueblo last season. Not only was it the first time Mines hit triple digits in one game, it was also the largest margin of victory in any game against CSU Pueblo. Furthermore, the win extended the Orediggers' streak to five against The Pack which is also the longest winning streak for Mines in the all-time series. It was a rivalry that began in 1976 – the Orediggers first year with a women's basketball program. But, back to last year's win. As expected, the ThunderWolves never led and the game was never tied thanks to a three-point basket from Ashley Steffeck to start the game. Mines held the home team to 12 points in the first quarter and 15 in the second quarter for a 56-27 halftime lead. It's worth mentioning that Steffeck hit another three-point shot with three seconds to go before the break. The Orediggers pushed their lead all the way to 39 late in the fourth quarter. At the final buzzer, Pinto boasted 24 points, Steffeck had 19 points, Stanton touted 18 points, Liz Holter had 13 and Van Sickle scored 11. Mines shot 53 percent from the floor including 14-for-28 from long range and held a 42-25 advantage on the glass. We could go on, but that pretty much covers it.
 
GROUND RULES
In late November, the RMAC released information about the season structure and return-to-play guidelines for basketball. All teams will have a 22-game conference schedule (non-conference play being optional), and any game that is not played due to COVID-19 issues will be declared a "no contest." All student-athletes and team support staff must test negative within 72 hours of the game, and in the state of Colorado, in everyone the arena will wear a mask except for the 10 active players on the court. An RMAC champion will be declared if at least five teams complete 50 percent of their originally approved schedule (11 games). The champion and RMAC Tournament qualifiers will be determined by use of the NCAA Division II RPI system.
 
UP NEXT
Mines continues its home stand next Friday and Saturday by hosting MSU Denver and Colorado Christian. With no spectators allowed, fans can still catch all the action live and for free on the RMAC Network and 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.