#22 Mines (5-1, 0-0 RMAC) vs. Regis (4-2, 0-0 RMAC) – Tuesday, 5:30 p.m. – Lockridge Arena [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
#22 Mines (5-1, 0-0 RMAC) vs. South Dakota Mines (0-6, 0-0 RMAC) – Thursday, 5:30 p.m. – Lockridge Arena [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]

---

CONFERENCE PLAY BEGINS
On Tuesday evening, the #22-ranked Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team will open Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play by hosting Regis inside Lockridge Arena. The defending RMAC Champion Orediggers continue the opening week of conference play on Thursday with South Dakota Mines coming to town. Both contests tip off at 5:30 p.m. and serve as the front end of two doubleheaders with Mines' men playing their RMAC openers at 7:30 p.m. both nights.
 
MASKS REQUIRED FOR FANS AT LOCKRIDGE ARENA
Consistent with the Jefferson County Public Health indoor masking order effective Wednesday, Nov. 24, masks will be mandatory for all spectators attending Colorado School of Mines home basketball games until further notice. 
 
LIVE COVERAGE
The RMAC Network has relaunched for 2021-22, and fans used to watching on their smart TV or other device must download the new app by searching "RMAC" in your device's app store. The new watch portal is available online at www.minesathletics.com/tv or www.rmacnetwork.com. All Mines home games and all RMAC contests will stream live and for free on the RMAC Network this winter.
 
PUERTO RICO RECAP
Mines celebrated Thanksgiving by taking a trip to Puerto Rico for the Puerto Rico Classic. The Orediggers dominated Puerto Rico-Mayaguez by a score of 80-33 on Thursday. Ashley Steffeck led four Mines players in double-digits with 18 points while adding six steals, five rebounds, three assists and one block. Sammy Van Sickle and Courtney Stanton both had 10 points and nine rebounds. Van Sickle led all players with her six assists. Denali Pinto dropped 17 points and grabbed five steals as well. Friday's finale was a 63-36 win for the Orediggers against Puerto Rico-Bayamon. Stanton was the top scorer in that contest thanks to 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Liz Holter, Pinto and Steffeck each accumulated six steals. Van Sickle rounded out the highlights by grabbing 12 rebounds.
 
SCOUTING REGIS
Regis makes the short trip to Golden with a record of 4-2 in tow. The Rangers started the season 2-0 thanks to wins of 62-57 and 66-58 against St. Edward's and St. Mary's at Regis Field House. Since that time, RU has gone 2-2 with losses to Eastern New Mexico and Western Washington. The Rangers' last outing was Saturday as they hosted UT-Permian Basin in Denver. Regis won by a score of 82-56. Individually Josey Ryan is the Ranger to watch. She's the only RU player averaging double-digit scoring with 14.2 points per game. She also leads the team with seven steals and boasts 4.8 rebounds per game. Defensively, Sydney Speights touts 5.5 rebounds per game with five steals and five blocks in six contests.
 
SCOUTING SOUTH DAKOTA MINES
Despite the return of three-point fiend Ryan Weiss, South Dakota Mines finds itself 0-6 to start the season. The Hardrockers' conference crossover featured West Texas A&M and UT-Permian Basin. Both of those losses were by 27 points. South Dakota's closest game was a 68-65 heartbreaker at Wayne State College in Nebraska last Wednesday. Most recently, SDM dropped a 70-57 decision to Sioux Falls. Weiss leads her team in scoring thanks to 13.5 points per game. Makenna Bodette and Piper Bauer both average double-digit scoring numbers as well. Sydnee Durtsche serves as top lady on the glass with 8.5 rebounds per game. Also notable are Bodette's 11 blocks in six games.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Colorado School of Mines trails the all-time series against Regis by a 27-53 margin. However, the Orediggers do own five straight wins over the Rangers. Mines last played RU on March 2, 2021, in the quarterfinal of the RMAC Tournament. The Orediggers earned a 67-56 win inside Lockridge Arena thanks to Denali Pinto's 18-point, 11-rebound double-double. Mines hasn't lost to Regis since Feb. 27, 2018. In the rivalry between engineering schools, the Orediggers hold a narrow, 7-6 lead over the Hardrockers. Colorado School of Mines won both meetings last season including a 66-52 victory in Rapid City, S.D., which featured nine points, seven rebounds, five assists and five steals from Liz Holter. South Dakota Mines' last win over the Orediggers was inside Lockridge Arena on Senior Day in 2020.
 
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sammy Van Sickle earned RMAC Defensive Player of the Week on Monday after a monster trip to Puerto Rico. Van Sickle's line for the week included averages of 10.5 rebounds, 6.0 points, 5.0 assists, 4.0 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. In total, she accumulated 21 rebounds, 12 points, 10 points, eight steals and two blocks. The Arvada, Colo., native's best game of the week was Mines' 80-33 win against Puerto Rico-Mayaguez on Thanksgiving morning in which she tallied 10 points, nine rebounds, six assists, five steals and two blocks. She followed up with 12 rebounds, four assists, three steals and two points at Puerto Rico-Bayamon on Friday. After six games in the season, Van Sickle ranks tied for #3 in the RMAC in total rebounds, #3 in total assists, #3 in total steals, #5 in assist-to-turnover ratio and #12 in total blocks. Monday marks Van Sickle's first such honor of the season and fifth of her career.
 
LOCK IT DOWN
If the phrase, "Defense wins championships," is true, Mines' women are sitting pretty early in the season. Through six games, the Orediggers' defense has given up just 301 total points for an average of 50.2 points per game against. That defensive production ranks #2 in the RMAC and #9 in the nation. Individually fueling the lockdown are Ashley Steffeck, Sammy Van Sickle and Liz Holter. That trio ranks #2, #3 and #4 in the league in total steals while sitting #2, #3 and #6 in steals per game. Additionally, Van Sickle ranks #12 in the RMAC in total blocks and is tied for #2 in total rebounds.
 
FUN FACT OF THE WEEK
Thus far during the 2021-22 school year, the Colorado School of Mines Athletic Department holds an overall record of 70-16-6 in traditional head-to-head competition. That mark across all teams includes a RMAC record of 42-5-2 which has led to four conference titles. Individually, Orediggers have combined to bring home 27 RMAC Player of the Week honors along with 53 All-RMAC awards, 17 All-Region awards with six all-Americans so far. And the fall season isn't even done.
 
UP NEXT
After hosting Regis and South Dakota Mines this week, the Orediggers hit the road to face UCCS on Saturday, Dec. 11, at 5:30 p.m. in Colorado Springs. Live stats and video of the game will be offered 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.