GOLDEN, Colo. – Oredigger guard Ashley Steffeck capped her record-setting night on Saturday by hitting the game-winning basket in the final second of overtime as the #11 Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team came from behind for a 68-66 win against Westminster at Lockridge Arena.
 
Steffeck's final basket provided her an 11-point, 14-steal double-double as she broke the RMAC's single-game steals record. The previous top mark was 13 set by Colorado Mesa's Bonnie Brewster against Fort Lewis during the 1984-85 season. Steffeck also added six rebounds and one assist to her final resume. Denali Pinto, Courtney Stanton and Liz Holter joined the the double-digit scoring party. Pinto poured in 20 points while grabbing five rebounds with two assists and one steal. Stanton's final line featured 12 points, five rebounds and one assist. Holter finished the game touting 10 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks. Also notable was Sammy Van Sickle and her eight points, four steals, four assists, two rebounds and one block.
 
Mines (15-1, 10-0 RMAC) overcame 32-percent shooting in the game to earn the win. The Orediggers fueled their victory with 22 steals while forcing Westminster (8-5, 7-2 RMAC) to cough up 28 turnovers. Mines only committed nine turnovers in 45 minutes of action. The Griffins took the loss despite shooting 53 percent from the field including 57 percent from three-point range while going 16-of-21 at the free-throw line. They also won the battle on the boards, 39-35, and blocked 10 shots compared to three from the Orediggers. Westminster's Ashley Greenwood led all players with 29 points. However, Mines offset all the discrepancies by attempting 75 shots while WC only took 43 as the ORediggers extended their win streak to 12 and took a two-game lead in the race for a RMAC title.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
After a heavyweight bout with #23 Colorado Mesa on Friday night, the Orediggers picked up where they left off and jumped on Westminster for a 5-0 lead thanks to a Holter three-pointer and Steffeck's jumper. Three minutes later, Holter drained another long-range basket to give Mines a 9-2 lead. By the end of the first quarter, the Griffins had battled back, but the home team owned a 14-11 advantage thanks to Stanton's and-one play in the final seconds of the period.
 
After the opening frame, Mines' offense cooled precipitously and Westminster caught fire. The visitors shot over 70 percent in the second quarter while the Orediggers only converted 23 percent of their shots. That being said, Mines' defense remained stout and limited the Griffins to a 29-25 halftime advantage behind Steffeck's six steals in the first half.
 
While the third quarter proved relatively trivial with WC narrowly edging the Orediggers, 15-14, the following 15 minutes of game action provided all the heart-stopping action a fan could ask for. Pinto started the fourth frame by draining a three-pointer which sparked a 7-2 run as Mines tied the game at 46-46 with 7:58 to play. The remainder of regulation featured two lead changes and four ties. Yet, the Griffins managed another five-point lead at 56-51 with 2:59 to play. What followed were three Griffin turnovers and five unanswered points by the Orediggers. Van Sickle hit a jumper. Holter converted two free throws and Pinto added another from the charity stripe as well. Holter and Steffeck also teamed up for steals on two of the three turnovers. Westminster's last-second layup attempt missed and Stanton grabbed the rebound to ensure overtime.
 
The extra period proved just as riveting as the first four. Pinto struck again to give Mines the early, 58-58 lead. Westminster clapped back and the race was on. Neither team led by more than three points as both sides went blow-for-blow with each other. With 17 seconds remaining, the Orediggers clung to a 66-65 lead before fouling Westminster. After hitting the first free throw, WC missed the second and it appeared the game would head to a second overtime. However, Steffeck and the home team weren't having it. Mines worked the ball over the timeline. With five seconds remaining Steffeck received the ball outside the three-point arc away from the Oredigger bench. She worked towards the top of the key and then spun at the opposite elbow, knifing into the lane. As Westminster applied heavy pressure and everyone counted down the final seconds, Steffeck used one final push to go past the Griffin defender. Her layup attempt hit the glass and as it dived towards the bottom of the net, the lights flashed red and the strings snapped – sealing Mines' victory even after official review.
 
NOTABLES
- Saturday's win gave Mines a 6-5 advantage in the all-time series against Westminster. Two of those 11 games have gone to overtime and three have been decided by two points.
- The Orediggers still have not lost back-to-back games to the Griffins.
- Saturday was Mines' first overtime game of the season.
- Steffeck's 14 steals tie her for #5 in the NCAA Division II record book for steals in a single game since they were made an official stat in the 1992-93 season. She also broke her own program record of 10 which she set last season in the opener at MSU Denver.
- Only four other players have ever recorded more steals in a single game than Steffeck since 1993. Just six other players in the history of RMAC women's basketball have recorded 12 steals or more in a single game.
- Additionally, Steffeck moved over 500 points for her career while recording the fourth double-double of her career.
- Pinto's 20 points gave her sole possession of #2 on the Orediggers' all-time scoring list. She is 35 points away from tying Ashley Gronewoller's 1,466 career points scored from 2002-06.
- Megan Van de Graaf surpassed 300 rebounds for her career on Saturday night.
- The victory extended Mines' best start to a season in program history. The previous top start was 6-1 in the 2001-02 season.
- Coach Simpson is 164-102 in her 10th season as head coach.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
The Orediggers host New Mexico Highlands at 5 p.m. on Wednesday inside Lockridge Arena. Tickets can be purchased online at www.minesthletics.com/tickets or at the door. Masks are required for all spectators regardless of vaccination status. Live stats and video on the RMAC Network 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.