GOLDEN, Colo. – The #5-ranked Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team used suffocating defense in its record-setting, 108-29 win against New Mexico Highlands on Wednesday evening inside Lockridge Arena.
 
In the win, Mines broke its program record for points in a single game and also recorded its largest margin of victory behind a complete, team effort. Liz Holter and Quincey Baum spoke loudest for the cause on offense with 16 points apiece which led all players. Holter added five steals, five assists and four rebounds as well. Denali Pinto, Josephine Howery and Courtney Stanton also scored in double digits. Ashley Steffeck produced an impressive line featuring 11 steals, six assists, six points and three rebounds. Shelby Nichols and McKale Grant led all players on the glass with seven rebounds apiece.
 
The Orediggers (16-1, 11-0 RMAC) extended their win streak to 13 games which ties the program record for most consecutive wins. They earned the win by producing 33 steals as a team on 44 turnovers by New Mexico Highlands (4-14, 1-11 RMAC). Mines' defensive production allowed the offense to attempt 90 shots while limiting the Cowgirls to 42 attempts. The Orediggers converted 44 percent of their shots from the floor including a 16-for-41 mark from behind the three-point arc. Overall, the home team won nearly every statistical category displayed on the box score. New Mexico Highlands, less than 24 hours removed from a Monday-night contest in Las Vegas, did match Mines with three blocked shots.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
It was the rarest of rare Wednesday night contests for Mines basketball, but the result was anything but rare. Even though New Mexico Highlands made the first basket on a driving layup, the rest of the contest was all Orediggers. Mines responded to NMHU's 2-0 lead with a 14-0 surge which turned into a 27-6 run during the first quarter. Holter fueled it with 10 points in the first 10 minutes. That led to a second period in which the home team limited the Cowgirls to one field goal and one free throw for a 29-3 frame. At halftime, 11 Orediggers had scored at least two points each led by Holter's 10 points as well as 10 more from Howery. Steffeck had racked up seven steals as well.
 
The entire second half was much of the same. Mines pumped out 27 points in the third quarter to offset Highlands' 18-point outburst. It marked the Cowgirls' best period of the night, but 11 combined points from Stanton and Pinto kept the home team comfortably in the lead heading into the final frame. The Orediggers put an exclamation point on their record-setting win by holding NMHU completely scoreless for the final 10 minutes of the game. Pinto carried the offense through the impressive defensive stand by scoring eight of her 13 second-half points. Other highlights from the fourth quarter included three more steals from Steffeck and McKale Grant pouring in five of her seven points. Nichols technically broke the program's single-game scoring record with a pair of free throws at the 3:49 mark of the final period.
 
NOTABLES
- The Orediggers extended their win streak against New Mexico Highlands to 12 straight while improving to 33-34 in the all-time series.
- Mines' previous single-game high in scoring was 100 points at CSU Pueblo on Feb. 15, 2020. Its former largest margin of victory was 74 points in a 98-24 win against Johnson & Wales on Nov. 15, 2005.
- The Orediggers just missed allowing the fewest points in a game in program history. That record is the 24 points JWU scored in 2005.
- Mines' 33 steals as a team are the second-most by any team in NCAA Division II this season.
- Quincey Baum and Josephine Howery both set career highs in scoring thanks to 16 points and 12 points, respectively. Shelby Nichols matched her single-game best with nine points.
- Steffeck's 11 steals give her back-to-back games with double-digit steals. She has three such performances in her career. No other Oredigger in the history of Mines women's basketball has had double-digit steals in any game.
- Furthermore, Steffeck moved up to 75 steals on the season which gives her sole possession of #5 on Mines' all-time, single-season list. She passed Claudia Fonio who had 73 during the 1983-84 season.
- Finally, Steffeck now ranks #1 and #2 in NCAA Division II this season for steals in a single game.
- Additionally, Grant's four steals matched her career best and her seven rebounds marked a career high.
- Baum also surpassed her career best with six rebounds.
- Holter's 16 points were fueled by four three-point baskets which are the most she's ever scored in a single game. She also went over 500 points in an Oredigger uniform.
- Megan Van de Graaf scored the first three-point basket of her career on Wednesday evening.
- Sammy Van Sickle's five rebounds against NMHU put her over 600 for her career.
- Coach Simpson is 165-102 in her 10th season as head coach.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
The Orediggers travel to CSU Pueblo and Adams State this Friday and Saturday with 5:30 p.m. tipoffs on both days. 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.