SALT LAKE CITY – Oredigger guard Ashley Steffeck pushed the #18-ranked Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team to a 76-66 victory at Westminster on Friday evening.
 
Steffeck matched her career high and led all players with 22 points. She also bolstered her game resume by adding seven rebounds, six assists, five steals, one block. Steffeck did not commit a single turnover. Josephine Howery poured in 16 points and Megan Van de Graaf scored 12 as well. Sammy Van Sickle was the utility knife for the Orediggers. She had 10 rebounds, six points, four steals, and two assists. Van de Graaf's eight rebounds proved good enough for second on the team and in the game.
 
Mines (6-1, 2-0 RMAC) capitalized on ball security to get the win. The Orediggers protected the ball and only committed nine turnovers. They also forced Westminster (3-5, 1-1 RMAC) to turn the ball over 22 times thanks to 16 steals. The Griffins were more efficient on offense, shooting over 40 percent from the field. However, Mines offset the difference by scoring 23 points off turnovers and 10 second-chance points. Westminster scored just five points off turnovers and recorded only five steals. The Orediggers improved to 2-0 in RMAC play and stand as one of three teams with an unbeaten record in conference play.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Orediggers exploded for 25 points in the first quarter and limited Westminster to 17 as Steffeck scored nine of her 22 for the night. However, the Griffins turned the tables in the second quarter and poured in 22 of their own with Mines scoring 15. At halftime, the visitors owned a 40-39 advantage. It was the third quarter that saw the turning point of the contest.
 
After the break, WC's Ashley Greenwood scored five unanswered and gave her team a 44-40 lead. The Orediggers response was a casual 10-0 run that turned into a 17-2 run spanning nearly five minutes of the third frame. Steffeck sparked the surge with a three-pointer. Howery hit one free throw and Sammy Van Sickle drained a jumped. Then, Howery turned back-to-back steals into four more points, making it 50-44 in favor of Mines. Another Van Sickle bucket, two Van de Graaf free throws and a Howery three extended the Oredigger advantage out to 57-46. With 40 seconds remaining in the quarter, Westminster scored its first points in nearly nine minutes of action.
 
Mines' 18-10 margin in the third quarter proved too much for the Griffins to overcome. The home team notched 17 points in the final 10 minutes, but Van de Graaf's five fourth-quarter points helped the Orediggers maintain their lead. Mines' defense also forced six more WC turnovers as the visitors closed out another double-digit victory.
 
NOTABLES
- The Orediggers are now 8-5 in the all-time series against Westminster including three straight wins.
- Mines' active win streak against the Griffins marks the most consecutive wins in the rivalry.
- Black Hills State and Adams State are the only other teams with a 2-0 RMAC record in 2022-23.
- Steffeck has scored a career-high 22 points twice this season with both instances coming in the last three games.
- Steffeck notched 12 of her 22 points from the free-throw line, going 12-for-12 at the charity stripe.
- Quincy Baum notched a block on Saturday night, her first of the season and third of her carer.
- Van de Graaf moved over 400 rebounds for her career.
- Head Coach Brittany Simpson is 180-108 in her 11th season leading the Orediggers.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines returns home for a four-game stand at Lockridge Arena. It starts Friday against South Dakota Mines at 5 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at www.minesathletics.com/tv or at the door. Free live coverage will also 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.­­­