#10 Mines (10-1, 6-0 RMAC) at Colorado Christian (6-6, 2-4 RMAC) – Sunday, 1 p.m. – Lakewood, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]

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INSERT NEW YEAR'S CLICHÉ HERE
This weekend the calendar will change from 2022 to 2023, and the #10-ranked Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team returns to the hardwood. The Orediggers' first action following the holiday break and of the New Year will be a RMAC showdown on Sunday at Colorado Christian against a middling, yet dangerous, Cougars squad. We have no clever headline for the holiday contest, so fans get to make up their own. It marks the only game of the weekend for Mines which carries an active, eight-game win streak from 2022 into 2023. The Orediggers hope to make it nine straight wins on Sunday afternoon in Lakewood.
 
SCHEDULE CHANGE
The men's and women's basketball games against Colorado Christian were originally scheduled for New Year's Eve on Saturday afternoon and evening. Nationwide issues with air travel complicated the return to campus for student-athletes and forced the hoops doubleheader to be moved to Sunday afternoon.
 
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.
 
IMPRESSIVE HOME STAND
Mines' last four games prior to the NCAA Division II-wide holiday break were all played at home, and the Orediggers took care of business in dominant fashion. They opened the home stand on Dec. 9 with a 70-52 win against South Dakota Mines and quickly followed that with a 75-47 drubbing of Black Hills State on Dec. 10. The next weekend, Dec. 17-18, the Orediggers handled MSU Denver, 79-62, on Saturday before toppling Western Colorado by an 80-69 margin on Sunday. During the home stretch, Megan Van de Graaf averaged 15.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Jessica Rios and Josephine Howery put up 13.8 points and 10.3 points per game, respectively. Additionally, Sammy Van Sickle and Ashley Steffeck combined for 39 assists, 26 steals and 14 blocks, and 75 total points.
 
SCOUTING COLORADO CHRISTIAN
Colorado Christian opened the 2022-23 campaign with head lady Diane Thompson entering her second season at the helm. Nearing the halfway point, the Cougars are 6-6 overall while sitting 2-4 in RMAC play which puts them #12 in the conference standings. At the start of the season, CCU went on a modest three-game run including wins against UT Tyler, MidAmerica Nazarene, and Alaska Fairbanks. The Cougars also started RMAC play 2-1 including a win over CSU Pueblo, but have now lost three straight games to Western Colorado, UCCS, and Regis. As a team, Colorado Christian passes the ball well, ranking #13 in the nation in assists per game. That has led to a positive scoring margin of 2.6 as CCU averages 72.4 points per game while giving up 69.8 to its opponents. Individually, Regan LoConte and Victoria Perez are the two leading scorers, hovering around 9.0 points per game. Perez also touts a 3.08 assist-to-turnover ratio which ranks #15 in the nation. Additionally, Nicole Bowlin dishes out 3.5 assists per game, and Agnes Paul pulls down 8.8 rebounds per game.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Mines leads the all-time series with Colorado Christian on the merits of 37 wins compared to 23 losses dating back to 1987. The Orediggers own an active six-game win streak over the Cougars and have also won nine of the last 10 meetings in the rivalry. The last time Mines and CCU faced off was Feb. 5, 2022, in Lakewood with the visitors winning 75-62. Shelby Nichols had nine points and seven rebounds in that game, and Josephine Howery scored 10 while Ashley Steffeck notched three steals. Mines' women haven't lost to Colorado Christian since Feb. 11, 2017, at Lockridge Arena. The Orediggers haven't lost a game in Lakewood since Dec. 18, 2014 – nearly 10 years ago.
 
TERRIFIC TRIO
This was previously mentioned in the "Impressive Home Stand" section, but we'll say it again. The trio of Megan Van de Graaf, Ashley Steffeck, and Sammy Van Sickle have been on an absolute tear their last four games. Van de Graaf's 15.5 points and 7.3 rebounds in that span have come on 53-percent shooting from the floor and included 20 points against South Dakota Mines along with an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double against Black Hills State – the first of her career. Steffeck and Van Sickle have each averaged nearly 5.0 assists per game during the stretch for a total of 39 assists. Van Sickle also boasts 11 blocks and 15 steals including seven blocks against Western Colorado. Steffeck's line features 11 steals and three blocks while averaging 9.8 points per game. Overall, the trio accounted for just under half of Mines' points per game in the four home wins.
 
ONE OF A KIND
Out of 23 conferences in NCAA Division II, only one has player who ranks #1 in her league in total steals, total blocks, blocks per game, and steals per game. That player is Mines' own Sammy Van Sickle in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC). Her 35 steals in 11 games rank #8 in the nation in steals per game and #12 in total steals. Her 17 blocks are #27 in DII and her 1.55 blocks per game are #32. Furthermore, the Ralston Valley High School graduate is one of just two players across all 100 NCAA conferences (DI, DII, DIII) sponsoring NCAA women's basketball to be ranked #1 in her league in all four categories. The other is Maddy Mandyck of Williams College (DIII/NESCAC). If that weren't enough, Van Sickle is also ranked #3 in the RMAC in total assists and assists per game.
 
AMONG THE ELITE
There are nearly 300 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball teams competing in 2022-23. Thirty one of those teams are either undefeated, have double-digit wins, are ranked the national top-25, or some combination of the three. Four of those 31 teams have earned all of their wins by double digit margins. Mines is one of those four teams.
 
THAT'S A FIRST
For the first time in the 46-year history of the program, Mines women's basketball has earned its first 10 wins of the season by double digits. The Orediggers' average margin of victory of 16.7 ranks #24 across all of DII. Most notable in those 10 wins was a 72-53 victory against now-#16/#21 Central Washington. The Wildcats entered the neutral-site, Thanksgiving showdown with Mines averaging over 88 points per game and still rank #10 in the nation in scoring offense.
 
DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Mines' trademark defense had led to back-to-back RMAC Championships, and the Orediggers are chasing a third straight title standing on the same foundation. They are giving up just 55.2 points per game so far in 2022-23 which ranks #15 in the nation. That stingy number is fueled by 13.6 steals per game which ranks #8 in the nation. Anchoring the defensive effort are Sammy Van Sickle and Ashley Steffeck. As previously mentioned, Van Sickle is #8 in DII in steals per game and #12 in total steals this season. Steffeck's 265 career steals are third-most among all active NCAA Division II players, and her career steals average of 3.01 per game ranks #3 among all active players across all three divisions of the NCAA.
 
BALL SECURITY
The Orediggers aren't winning on defense alone. They also take care of the ball and pass it well, and the evidence is in the numbers. Mines' 9.91 turnover margin ranks #7 in the nation. Head Coach Brittany Simpson's squad forces an average of 12.2 turnovers per game which ranks #8 in the country. The Orediggers assist-to-turnover ratio is 1.30 which is #10 in all of NCAA Division II. It certainly doesn't hurt that Mines is also pulling down 16.7 offensive rebounds per game which ranks #9 in the nation.
 
FAST START
At 10-1 so far in 2022-23, Colorado School of Mines women's basketball touts its second-best start to a season in program history. The Orediggers started the 2001-02 campaign with a 6-1 record. Their best start to a season in program history was in 2021-22 when they rolled to a 16-1 mark through 17 games.
 
THEY CALL THAT A WINNING STREAK
Mines' fast start has been fueled by an active, eight-game winning streak. It started on Nov. 25 with a 72-53 win against then-#21 Central Washington at the Regis Thanksgiving Classic, and is currently tied for #10 among active streaks in NCAA Division II. Only 31 teams in all of NCAA women's basketball have a longer active winning streak than the Orediggers.
 
IT HAS HAPPENED BEFORE
The longest Oredigger winning streak in program history is 13 games. Mines first won 13 straight contests in 2015-16 on the way to the first conference title in program history. The Orediggers also won 13 consecutive games during the 2021-22 season which resulted in a second straight RMAC Championship and third overall.
 
LEADING COLORADO
Colorado is home to 21 different collegiate women's basketball teams representing NCAA Divisions I, II, and III along with the junior college ranks. Mines has established itself as one of the best women's teams in the state of Colorado in 2022-23. The Orediggers are tied for the most wins, tout the fewest losses and rank #1 in winning percentage. They also boast the longest active win streak in the state. The Buffs of the University of Colorado and the Otero JC Rattlers are the only other women's teams in Colorado with 10 wins. Otero JC is the only other program with a winning percentage over .800.

IN THE RANKINGS
The final national rankings of 2022 saw Mines improve in both polls. The Orediggers climbed one spot to #10 in the Women's Basketball Coaches' Association top-25. They also surged six slots to #12 in the media poll sponsored by D2SIDA. Mines remains the only nationally-ranked women's program in the RMAC. Grand Valley State is #1 in the coaches' poll while Ashland took over #1 in the media poll. Central Washington is Mines' only 2022-23 opponent to currently appear in the national rankings. The Wildcats are #16 on the media's list and #22 according to the coaches.
 
HOW FAR WE'VE COME
The inaugural campaign for Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball was 1976-77. Through the first 20 seasons of the program's existence, the Orediggers totaled 106 victories with zero seasons above .500 and just two double-digit win campaigns. Over the last decade, including the 2022-23 campaign, Mines has racked up 169 wins, three conference titles, and three NCAA Tournament berths. The Orediggers have not finished under .500 since 2014-15, and have recorded double-digit wins every year since 2011-12.
 
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 184-108 (63.0). 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.
 
UP NEXT
Mines returns to the friendly confined of Lockridge Arena Jan. 6-7, hosting CSU Pueblo and New Mexico Highlands. Tipoff for both games is 5 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at www.minesathletics.com/tickets 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.