GOLDEN, Colo. – The #11-ranked Colorado School of Mines Basketball team used contributions from all over the roster on Sunday night to earn an 80-69 win over Western Colorado inside Lockridge Arena.
 
Five different Orediggers scored in double digits. Jessica Rios and Megan Van de Graaf led the team with 16 points each. Josephine Howery poured in 14 points, Shelby Nichols scored 11, and Sammy Van Sickle finished touting 10 points. Van Sickle rounded out a monster night by adding seven blocks, seven assists, six rebounds, and four steals as well. Also notable was Ashley Steffeck turning in eight points, four rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Rios' 16 points came on 5-of-7 shooting, all from behind the three-point line, and one free throw.
 
With the victory, the Orediggers (10-1, 6-0 RMAC) extended their win streak to eight games. They also retained sole possession of first place in the RMAC standings. The biggest difference in the game was 11 three-pointers for Mines compared to six from Western Colorado (3-7, 2-3 RMAC). The Mountaineers shot at a higher percentage than their hosts, but the Orediggers out-blocked the visitors, 9-5. Even though WCU racked up 30 points in the paint, it only produced three points off eight Mines turnovers. The home team put up 24 points on 14 Western Colorado turnovers.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Both teams fired out of the gate red-hot on offense, combining to shoot 75 percent from the floor for the first 16 points. With Western Colorado holding an early, 9-7 advantage, Rios and Van Sickle drained back-to-back three-pointers for a modest 6-0 run and 13-9 lead. Those long-range baskets turned into a 13-2, Mines run which lasted over five minutes. The Oredigger defense held WCU scoreless for more than three of those minutes, but the Mountaineers still shot 58 percent for the quarter. At the first break, Mines owned a 25-18 lead.
 
The home team had only forced two Western Colorado turnovers on two steals in the opening frame. In the second quarter, Mines upped those numbers to eight Mountaineer turnovers on six Oredigger steals. Two of those turnovers were shot clock violations. The defensive flex by Mines helped it push the lead to 15. However, a late, 7-0 run by the visitors brought the halftime margin back to nine at 44-35, in favor of the home team.
 
After scoring six three-point baskets in the first half, Mines came out of the locker room and hit two more in the first two minutes of the third quarter thanks to Rios and Howery. Right before the third-frame media timeout, Nichols drained a three-pointer of her own to give the Orediggers a 57-40 cushion. Once again, WCU's efficient shooting helped the Mountaineers stay within striking distance and away from a blowout. They converted 40 percent from the field and 70 percent at the free-throw line to make it a 62-51 deficit heading into the fourth quarter.
 
Sammy Van Sickle had a boom-bastic impact on the final 10 minutes with three of her seven blocks. That kept Western Colorado from gaining ground. Van Sickle and Howery also combined for 10 of Mines' 18 fourth-quarter points to ensure the 80-69 victory.
 
NOTABLES
- Mines improved to 30-38 in the all-time series against Western Colorado.
- The Orediggers have won five straight against the Mountaineers and seven of the last 10.
- Sammy Van Sickle's seven blocks are tied for the fifth-most blocks in a single game in program history.
- No Oredigger has had seven blocks or more in one game since Savannah Afoa in the 2009-10 season.
- Van Sickle's seven assists against WCU moved her to #5 on Mines' all-time list, passing Liz Holter who dished out 284 from 2019-22.
- Additionally, Van Sickle tied herself with Kelly Hadley on the Orediggers' all-time steals list thanks to 195 in her career.
- Nichols' 11 points marked a career high for the senior.
- Rios matched her career best thanks to four assists on Sunday evening. She also set a new career high with five three-pointers in a single game.
- Furthermore, Rios moved over 100 points while wearing an Oredigger uniform. She has 283 for her career after two seasons with NCAA Division I Sacramento State.
- The Orediggers had 11 three-pointers against WCU, which matches their single-game high in 2022-23.
- Mines' 41-percent from the field and 44-percent from long range marks its second-best shooting game of the season.
- The Orediggers went 10-of-10 from the free-throw line during the first half on Sunday night.
- Sunday also marked the women's last home game of 2022. During the calendar year, the Orediggers were 13-2 inside Lockridge Arena.
- Head Coach Brittany Simpson is 184-108 in her 11th season leading the Orediggers.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines now has a week off for the holidays as per NCAA Division II rules. The Orediggers return to action on New Year's Eve at Colorado Christian in Lakewood. Free live coverage 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.­­­