GOLDEN, Colo. – Oredigger forward Megan Van de Graaf pushed the #20-ranked Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team to an 83-58 win against Adams State on Friday night as well as a share of the RMAC's regular season championship as Mines celebrated "Rock the Lock" inside Lockridge Arena.
 
Van de Graaf scored a career-best 23 points while also grabbing eight rebounds with one assist. She finished the game 9-of-12 from the field, 1-for-2 from behind the three-point arc and 4-of-4 at the free throw line. Denali Pinto matched her teammate with a game-high 23 points as she pulled down seven rebounds, swiped three steals and blocked one shot as well. Pinto also went 4-for-4 at the charity stripe. Loralee Stock proved big with 12 points which matched her career best. Also notable were six steals, six assists and two blocks from Ashley Steffeck.  
 
With the win, Mines improved to 23-4 overall with an 18-3 mark in conference play which only one other team can match with one game remaining in the regular season. Adams State (12-14, 10-11 RMAC) fell under .500 in the league with the loss, but remains in contention for a berth in the RMAC Tournament. The Orediggers used a 17-9 margin in steals and 42-percent shooting for the game to get the victory. Their 17 steals led to 31 points off 24 turnovers by the Grizzlies. Mines also benefitted from 46 points in the paint and 48 points of its bench. Two bright spots for ASU were five blocked shots and nine three-pointers.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
As Oredigger nation filtered in to the Student Recreation Center on the campus of Colorado School of Mines, the home team gave the fans what they wanted and stormed out to a 7-0 lead with Pinto notching five of the seven. After that, the Adams State defense heated up and conversely, Mines' offense cooled off. The Grizzlies held the Orediggers scoreless for a period of 7:33 spanning from the first quarter to the second quarter which allowed the visitors to take a 20-14 lead. It was then that the duo of Van de Graaf and Stock put the team on their collective backs. Stock hit a jumper with 6:30 to go before the half, and followed up with two free throws. Pinto's free throws set the stage for Van de Graaf to score eight straight points for Mines. By halftime, the Orediggers had pulled within 36-32 thanks to eight, second-quarter points apiece from Stock and Van de Graaf.
 
Adams State came out of the break and hit a layup for the first points of the second half. Then, it was all Mines. Pinto fed fuel to a crowd of more than 400 fans by sparking a 7-0 run thanks to a jumper and a three-pointer. The Orediggers parlayed the surge into a 21-2 outburst which provided the home squad a 53-40 lead. Pinto and Van de Graaf accounted for 14 of the 21 points during the run. Mines finished the third quarter outscoring the Grizzlies 29-12 to carry a 61-48 lead into the last 10 minutes. The Orediggers used the fourth quarter to spread out the scoring as eight individuals notched at least one field goal. Mines' fourth-quarter production supported a 22-10 margin on 58-percent shooting in the period and a 53-percent mark for the second half. McKale Grant's steal and layup with 13 seconds in the game made her the ninth Oredigger to find the scoring column in the game.
 
NOTABLES
- Mines improved to 28-34 in the all-time series against Adams State including 13 straight wins.
- The Orediggers haven't lost to the Grizzlies since 2012 and not in Golden since 2011.
- Van de Graaf's 23 points topped her previous career high of 20 scored at Fort Lewis earlier this season. Her three-pointer in the second half was just the second of her career.
- Liz Holter took over #5 on Mines' all-time assists list thanks to her two dimes against Adams State. She now has 275 in less than three seasons with the Orediggers.
- Stock's 12 points matches her output at Regis in 2020.
- Steffeck now boasts two blocks in a game on 10 different occasions.
- Shelby Nichols scored two points on Friday and moved over 100 for her career while Pinto surpassed the 500 career rebound milestone.
- CSU Pueblo is the only team that can match Mines' RMAC record. The ThunderWolves come to Lockridge Arena on Saturday night for the regular-season finale.
- Coach Simpson is 172-105 in her 10th season as head coach with three conference titles under her belt.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines closes the regular season on Saturday night at 5 p.m. with CSU Pueblo coming to Lockridge Arena. The winner will claim the #1 seed and hosting rights for the 2022 RMAC Women's Basketball Tournament. The Orediggers will also celebrate their seniors at halftime of the men's game. Live stats and video 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.