SAN ANTONIO – Career scoring nights for multiple Orediggers spearheaded a season-opening win for the #15-ranked Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball as they rolled to a 74-45 win against St. Edward's inside Greehey Arena.
Josephine Howery finished the game leading all players with 16 points while adding four rebounds, four assists, four steals, and one block as well.
Megan Van de Graaf's 13 points were second in the game and she did it on 6-of-11 shooting. Van de Graaf also pulled down five rebounds and dished out two assists.
Ashley Steffeck and
Shelby Nichols made it a trio of double-digit, Oredigger scorers thanks to 10 points apiece.
Jessica Rios did it all for Mines, producing a resume featuring six points, seven rebounds, six steals, three assists and one block. Also notable were six rebounds and four assists from
Sammy Van Sickle.
Mines (1-0) earned the win by forcing St. Edward's (0-1) to commit 35 turnovers as the Orediggers collected a total of 20 steals. The other big key for Mines was a 45-27 advantage on the glass. The Orediggers finished the game shooting 39 percent from the floor. The Hilltoppers were held to 31% shooting. Both teams each had a trio of three-point baskets, but it was all Mines in the paint as it put up 38 points from close range compared to 16 by St. Edward's. The Orediggers also notched 33 of their points off turnovers.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The score was never tied and the lead never changed hands as Mines closed the opening quarter with a 21-2 lead. Howery notched 11 of those points and the Oredigger defense held St. Edward's without a field goal (0-for-9). The Hilltopper offense woke up in the second quarter and managed 12 points, but Mines continued to extend its lead. Van de Graaf accounted for six of the Orediggers' 17 second-quarter points, and they led 38-14 at halftime. The second half saw SEU up its scoring output each quarter, but Mines still won each period by scores of 15-13 and 21-18. Van de Graaf notched six more points in the third and Nichols had six in the fourth. Eight Oredigger steals in the final quarter put the icing on the cake.
Mines' biggest lead of the game was 29 points at 72-43 in the fourth quarter. The Orediggers led the game for 39:35 out of a possible 39:59 minutes. Also, Mines' 21-0 start to the game was the biggest scoring run of the contest. The Oredigger bench contributed 29 points. Mines earned 21 points on second chances and 20 off of fast breaks. Notable for St. Edward's was a 57-percent shooting performance in the fourth quarter. The Hilltoppers' leading scorer was Lauren Catherman with 12.
NOTABLES
- Mines improved to 4-2 in the all-time series against St. Edward's including back-to-back wins on two different occasions.
- Friday's win marked Mines' largest margin of victory against SEU in the brief history of the rivalry.
-
Saya Sabus,
Jenna Siebert,
Suni Davis and
Alison Kantor all made their collegiate debuts against St. Edward's in San Antonio.
- Siebert highlighted the collegiate debuts with eight points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal. She was 3-for-6 from the field.
- Rios' game on Friday marked her debut in an Oredigger uniform after playing her first two seasons at NCAA Division I Sacramento State. She posted career bests in rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks.
- Howery's 16 points, four assists, and four steals marked career highs for the true junior.
- Nichols also had a career scoring night for the Orediggers.
-
Sammy Van Sickle's four assists moved her to #7 on Mines' all-time list, surpassing Cathy Dingwall's 243 dimes from 1982-86.
- Mines has now won three straight season openers, and is 6-5 with Head Coach
Brittany Simpson at the helm.
- Head Coach
Brittany Simpson is 175-107 in her 11th season leading the Orediggers.
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines closes its trip to Texas with a game against host St. Mary's on Saturday at 5 p.m. (CT) inside Greehey Arena in San Antonio. Free live stats and pay-per-view video 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.
