#18 Mines (4-1, 0-0 RMAC) at Colorado Mesa (1-5, 0-0 RMAC) – Friday, 5:30 p.m. – Grand Junction, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
#18 Mines (4-1, 0-0 RMAC) at Westminster (2-4) – Saturday, 5 p.m. – Salt Lake City, Utah [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]

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RMAC PLAY BEGINS
After going 4-1 in non-conference play, the #18-ranked Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team is set to open Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) action this weekend. The Orediggers tipoff at Colorado Mesa on Friday at 5:30 p.m. They continue their road trip Saturday at 5 p.m. against Westminster in Salt Lake City. Mines enters the RMAC portion of the season as the back-to-back defending conference champions, putting a target on the Orediggers' back at every turn.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
All RMAC contests will stream live and for free on the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Network. The RMAC Network can be accessed at www.minesathletics.com/tv, as well as with apps on all major smart TV platforms by searching RMAC. Live statistics are also available at www.minesathletics.com.
 
LOOKING BACK
Mines closed its non-conference schedule last Friday and Saturday at the Regis Thanksgiving Classic in Denver. The Orediggers earned a 72-53 victory against then-#21 Central Washington on Friday. It marked CWU's first loss of the season. Josephine Howery scored a career-high 19 points. Sammy Van Sickle walked away touting 15 points, nine rebounds, six assists, six steals, and one block. The Wildcats came into the game averaging 88 points and a 19-point margin of victory through four games. The Orediggers finished the weekend by taking down Seattle Pacific, 65-54. In that game, Ashley Steffeck scored 22 points and Sammy Van Sickle was big again with 15 points, five rebounds, five assists, three steals and one block.
 
SCOUTING COLORADO MESA
A perennial powerhouse in recent history, Colorado Mesa's women have struggled to start the 2022-23 campaign. The Mavericks start the weekend with a 1-5 record after starting the season 0-5. Last weekend, CMU earned its first win of the season thanks to a 78-61 win over Fort Lewis inside Brownson Arena. Mesa's brutal non-conference slate included losses at the hands of then-#6 West Texas A&M and #3 Fort Hays State. The Mavericks also played UT Permian Basin, Northwest Missouri State, and Wayne State (Neb.). As a team, CMU averages 60.2 points per game and gives up 69.5 to the opposition. Individually, Olivia Reed is the player to watch. She averages 11.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game. Kylie Kravig is another bright spot with her 4.3 assists per game. Monica Brooks touts 11.3 points per contest as well.
 
SERIES HISTORY – COLORADO MESA
Colorado School of Mines and Colorado Mesa have played 78 times in their rivalry. The Mavericks own a 60-18 advantage in the all-time series, but the Orediggers have won five of the last six. Mines and CMU last met in Grand Junction on Feb. 19, 2022, where the home team won, 81-74. Sammy Van Sickle went off for 21 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Ashley Steffeck scored 18 points as well. Mines' recent success has included a five-game win streak that ended with the latest meeting. It marks the Orediggers' longest win streak in the history of the rivalry. Mines has only won one game in Grand Junction, Colo., since 2009.
 
SCOUTING WESTMINSTER
Westminster welcomes MSU Denver to Salt Lake City on Friday before hosting Mines on Saturday. The Griffins have started their season with two wins and four losses. Both of WC's victories came on opening weekend against UAFS. The first was a 77-73 overtime win on Friday before the Griffins handled the Lady Lions, 87-65 on Saturday. Since that time, WC is 0-4 with losses to Northwest Nazarene, Central Washington, Cal State San Marcos and Azusa Pacific. The Griffins' average margin of loss is just 3.1 points as they score nearly 68 per contest and give up 71. Well-known RMAC veteran Ashley Greenwood is back for another year with WC. Her 16.6 points per game lead the team, as do her 6.7 rebounds. 3.0 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. Also notable are Elizabeth Means and Lyndzi Rich who combine to put up over 22 points per game.
 
SERIES HISTORY – WESTMINSTER
Mines owns a 7-5 lead in the all-time series with Westminster including two straight wins. The Orediggers and Griffins first met in 1979 before a 26-year hiatus. Westminster joined the RMAC in 2015-16 and since that time, Mines is 7-4 against WC. Most recently, the Orediggers defeated the Griffins in Salt Lake City on Feb. 18, 2022, by a score of 59-54. Courtney Stanton scored 16 points in that game. Ashley Steffeck finished with 12 points, four assists, and two steals. The last four times Mines and Westminster have played, the games have been decided by five points or less. The Griffins have never won back-to-back games against the Orediggers. Mines' longest win streak against WC is two games on two different occasions.
 
RMAC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sammy Van Sickle's performance at the Regis Thanksgiving Classic netted her RMAC Defensive Player of the Week honors. It marked her first award of the season and 10th such award of her career. The Arvada, Colo., native's resume included 30 points, 14 rebounds, 11 assists, nine steals and two blocks. Her game against Central Washington was the highlight thanks to 15 points, nine rebounds, six steals, six assists and one block. After three weeks of play, Van Sickle ranks top-10 in the RMAC in rebounding, steals, and blocks.
 
BOSS LADY
Head Coach Brittany Simpson is in her 11th season leading the Mines women's basketball program. During her decade tenure, she has become the winningest coach in program history both in terms of total wins and win percentage at 177-109 (61.8). Simpson is responsible for all three of the program's RMAC titles including regular-season championships in 2015-16, 2020-21, and 2021-22, as well as three of four trips to the NCAA Tournament. She is a three-time RMAC Coach of the Year who has guided 31 All-RMAC selections including 11 first-teamers, 11 second-teamers, one third-team selection and eight honorable mention performers.
 
NATIONAL RANKINGS
The third edition of the regular-season national rankings brought upward movement for the Orediggers. They rose three spots to #18 in the Women's Basketball Coaches' Association (WBCA) poll. Mines also continued receiving votes in the media poll sponsored by D2SIDA. Coach Brittany Simpson's squad is the only RMAC program currently appearing in either top-25 ranking. Grand Valley State holds the #1 spot in both polls.
 
UP NEXT
Mines returns to Golden for its conference home openers and a four-game stretch in Lockridge Arena starting with South Dakota Mines and Black Hills State on Dec. 9-10. Tickets can be purchased online at www.minesathletics.com/tv or at the door. Live coverage is also linked 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.