GOLDEN, Colo. – Megan Van de Graaf's 20 points on Friday night sparked the #12 Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team to a 70-52 victory against South Dakota Mines inside Lockridge Arena.
Van de Graaf's scoring led all players in the game as she went 9-of-14 from the floor. She was also perfect at the free-throw line and pulled down four rebounds with one assist.
Ashley Steffeck's 14 points were second-most in the game. She bolstered her resume by adding three rebounds, three steals, three assists, and one block.
Sammy Van Sickle also stood out for the Orediggers. Her finale resume featured eight assists, seven points, five steals, five rebounds, and two blocks.
The Orediggers (7-1, 3-0 RMAC) extended their win streak to five games while dropping the Hardrockers to 1-8 overall and 1-2 in conference play. Colorado School of Mines' defense forced 22 SDM turnovers and held the visitors under 30-percent shooting from the floor. The home team also owned the paint, scoring 38 in the lane compared to 18 from the Hardrockers. South Dakota Mines did keep it close in rebounding and won the three-point shooting battle. However, Colorado School of Mines produced 22 points off turnovers and 22 points off second chances.
HOW IT HAPPENED
It was a wire-to-wire win for Colorado School of Mines. The Orediggers and Hardrockers were never tied and the home team never trailed. Steffeck produced her very own 6-0 run to start the game which eventually led to a 13-0 lead for the Orediggers. After 10 minutes of action, Colorado School of Mines owned a 27-7 lead. South Dakota Mines kept it closer through the following three quarters, but only gained ground in the fourth. Van de Graaf poured in eight points during the second quarter,
Sammy Van Sickle notched five third-quarter points, and Steffeck closed out the win with five fourth-quarter points.
Colorado School of Mines had its biggest lead of the game in the third quarter thanks to a 25-point margin. The Orediggers biggest run of the game was the 13-0 surge to start the contest. The score stood at 0-0 for all of 14 seconds and the home team led the remaining 39:46 of play. Notable for SDM was 31 points off the bench.
NOTABLES
- The Orediggers improved to 10-6 in the rivalry with South Dakota Mines including five consecutive wins. That marks the longest win streak in the all-time series.
- Van Sickle's eight assists matched her career high. She also had eight assists against South Dakota Mines on Dec. 2, 2021.
- Van Sickle is now tied for #6 on Mines' all-time assists list. She has matched Heather Hoops' 274 from 2001-05.
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Jenna Siebert matched her career high with eight points thanks to two three-pointers.
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Josephine Howery moved over 300 points for her career.
- Head Coach
Brittany Simpson is 181-108 in her 11th season leading the Orediggers.
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines hosts Black Hills State on Saturday night at 5 p.m. at Lockridge Arena. 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.
