CANYON, Texas – The #22-ranked and seventh-seeded Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team closed the book on its 2021-22 season on Friday afternoon in an 80-74 loss to #7-ranked and second-seeded Texas A&M-Commerce in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
 
Liz Holter led the Orediggers on offense with 13 points while also notching three assists and two steals. Sammy Van Sickle scored in double digits as well, tallying 11 points to go along with six rebounds, three blocks, two steals and an assist. Courtney Stanton nearly got the double-double thanks to nine points and eight rebounds while adding one assist, one block and one steal. Also notable was Ashley Steffeck scoring nine points, grabbing seven rebounds, swiping four steals and handing out one assist. Josephine Howery and Loralee Stock scored nine points apiece as well.
 
Friday's showdown featured 10 ties and nine lead changes as Mines (25-6) racked up 13 steals and poured in 32 points in the paint. Texas A&M-Commerce (27-4) offset its 23 turnovers by winning on the glass with a 44-35 rebounding margin. The Lady Lions also shot over 50 percent from the floor while holding the Orediggers to a 36-percent clip. Other bright spots for Mines included a 78-percent free throw percentage and four blocks compared to TAMUC shooting 58 percent at the charity stripe and blocking just two shots. Commerce also shot 58 percent from three-point range and went to the free-throw line 31 times.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Friday afternoon in West Texas brought the women of Colorado School of Mines to the biggest stage the Orediggers had played on to date. Even though Texas A&M-Commerce won the opening tip, Mines proved it was ready to compete. Steffeck recorded the first statistic of the game by taking the ball from the Lady Lions and breaking away for a layup and 2-0 lead. Not long after, Van Sickle blocked a TAMUC shot which eventually led to a Holter three-pointer from the wing and a 5-0 lead for the Orediggers. While the Lady Lions showed their worth and hung tough, Mines carried a 27-20 lead into the quarter break thanks to Van Sickle's long-range bucket with less than 10 seconds to play. At the horn, Mines had shot 58 percent from the floor through the first 10 minutes.
 
In the second quarter, the Oredigger offense went cold for long stretches including one span of three minutes without and field goal and another run over four minutes without a field goal. Texas A&M-Commerce parlayed the second drought into a 7-0 run to take the lead, but Mines' defense kept that lead to two points, or less, all the way to halftime. Then, in the waning seconds of the second frame, Van Sickle again found the bottom of the net from behind the arc to put the underdogs back on top. Right before the horn, Holter clinched the halftime lead by coming up with a steal and Mines headed to the locker room touting a 40-39 advantage.
 
All 20 minutes of the second half was an all-out dogfight. Mines' defense held the Lady Lions without a field goal for more than four minutes of gameplay in the third quarter and Howery drained a layup and a three-pointer to keep the Orediggers ahead, 54-52. Even so, Texas A&M-Commerce stayed in the game with free throws and then found a field goal with 14 seconds remaining in the third period. However, McKale Grant dropped a pair from the charity stripe with five seconds remaining to send the game to the fourth frame tied 58-58. It was then that TAMUC made its move. Chania Wright, who finished the game with 25 points, capped a 7-3 run to start the period by hitting from behind the arc to give the Lady Lions a 65-61 lead. Even though Mines battled back within two points throughout the rest of the quarter, it couldn't find the tie or the lead back. Van Sickle even hit a jumper at the 1:57 mark to make it 72-69. However, Texas A&M-Commerce went 4-for-4 from the field down the stretch and made enough free throws to clinch the win.
 
NOTABLES
- Friday marked the first time Mines and Texas A&M-Commerce had ever played in women's basketball.
- It was likely the last time the Orediggers and Lady Lions will ever play in women's basketball as TAMUC is set to ascend to NCAA Division I and the Southland Conference next season.
- Despite the loss, Mines still walks away from 2021-22 touting the best season in program history including, but not limited to, the most wins, most RMAC wins, highest points per game on offense, longest win streak, biggest margin of victory and most points in a single game.
- Holter's 13 points put her over 600 points in an Oredigger uniform. She closes her career with 609 points at Mines and 780 points for her entire collegiate career.
- Howery moved over 200 points for her career.
- Stanton closes her collegiate career ranked #9 on the Orediggers' all-time scoring list thanks to 1,094 career points. In her final game, she moved passed Taylor Helbig's 1,088 from 2011-15.
- Steffeck's four steals gave her 123 for the season which is a program record.
- The Orediggers are now 0-3 all time in the NCAA Tournament.
- Head Coach Brittany Simpson closes her 10th season at Mines with a record of 174-107.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Friday's loss marked the end of the season for the Orediggers. All awards, signings and offseason announcements will be published 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.