#19 Mines (14-3, 10-2 RMAC) at Western Colorado (4-11, 3-7 RMAC) – Saturday, 5 p.m. – Gunnison, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]

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ROAD WARRIORS
After playing three games in five days, the #19-ranked Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team will close a grueling, four-game road trip on Saturday at Western Colorado. Tipoff between the Orediggers and Mountaineers is set for 5 p.m. Mines will be playing at the highest collegiate gym in the world, over 7,700 feet of elevation, making the one-game weekend a very tall ask. Only fractions of a game separate the Orediggers from the rest of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in the standings so each game is critical to their chase for another title.
 
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.
 
LOOKING BACK
Mines started its four-game road trip at Regis on Friday before traveling to UCCS on Saturday and then MSU Denver on Tuesday. Friday's result was a 76-64 loss to the Rangers which snapped the Orediggers' 11-game win streak and marked their first loss in conference play. Saturday finished with a heartbreaking, 67-64 loss at the paws of the Mountain Lions in Colorado Springs. An exhausted Mines squad dug deep and bounced back on Tuesday, defeating MSU Denver by a score of 63-62 at the Auraria Event Center. In spite of the two losses, Sammy Van Sickle still put up impressive numbers as she averaged 15.3 points and 6.7 rebounds with seven assists, six blocks and three steals in three games. Josephine Howery proved big as well, putting up 13.3 points per game while adding seven steals, four assists and one block. Also notable were Ashley Steffeck's 9.7 points and 7.3 rebounds along with nine steals, and seven assists.
 
SCOUTING WESTERN COLORADO
Western Colorado University enters the weekend 4-11 overall with a 3-7 mark in RMAC play. The Mountaineers have lost four straight games and host MSU Denver on Friday before welcoming Mines to town on Saturday. The four straight losses all came by single digits at the hands of Black Hills State, South Dakota Mines, New Mexico Highlands, and CSU Pueblo. Western Colorado's conference wins have come against Chadron State, Colorado Christian, and UCCS; all in Gunnison, Colo. The Mountaineers also earned a non-conference, overtime win at Texas A&M-Kingsville. Emmery Wagstaff and Rachel Cockman are WCU's deadly duo. Wagstaff leads the team in scoring and rebounding at 14.9 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. She also puts up 1.9 assists and swipes 1.3 steals. Cockman's resume features 12.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. As a team, Western Colorado scores 53.6 points per game and limits its opponents to 58.4 points per game.
 
SERIES HISTORY – WCU
Mines and Western Colorado faced off earlier this season at Lockridge Arena. The Orediggers emerged with an 80-69 victory. That improved Mines to 30-38 in the all-time series against WCU including an active, five-game win streak when playing the Mountaineers. In the Dec. 18 meeting, Megan Van de Graaf, Jessica Rios and Sammy Van Sickle were the stars. Van de Graaf scored 16 and grabbed seven rebounds, Rios matched the 16 points and dished out four assists. Van Sickle was everywhere on the court, racking up seven blocks, seven assists, six rebounds, and four steals while scoring 10 points. Mines hasn't lost to Western Colorado since Dec. 18, 2020. The Orediggers haven't lost to the Mountaineers in Gunnison since Dec. 7, 2018. Since 2015, Mines is 10-3 against WCU.
 
RMAC STANDINGS UPDATE
The Orediggers have 10 games remaining in the 2022-23 regular season. They currently sit #1 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference standings thanks to a .833 win percentage compared to Regis' .800 win percentage at 8-2. That being said, Regis is in the driver's seat thanks to its head-to-head win against Mines. Black Hills State and Adams State round out the top four at 7-2 and 8-3. However, BHSU still has to make up its game at Fort Lewis. If the season ended today, those four teams would host conference tournament quarterfinal games against Westminster, CSU Pueblo, MSU Denver and either Colorado Mesa or UCCS. However, New Mexico Highlands is only one game out of that mix. Overall, there are three two-loss teams and three six-loss teams bracketing the projected tournament field. Needless to say, anything can still happen.
 
STEALING HISTORY
Ashley Steffeck is just five steals shy of becoming the program's all-time leader. Steffeck led the entire nation in steals last season while breaking the Orediggers' single-season record. The current career steals record for Mines is 284 held by Claudia Fonio who played from 1980-1984. While Steffeck is not on the same historic pace as she was in the 2021-22 season, the Fort Collins, Colo., native still ranks #3 in the RMAC in total steals and steals per game in 2022-23. Also notable are her single-game performances. The Fossil Ridge High School graduate owns the #1, #2, and #3 spots on the program's all-time, single-game list. She swiped 10 at MSU Denver to start the 2020-21 season. Last year, Steffeck broke her own single-game record with 14 against Westminster. She added 11 steals against New Mexico Highlands last season as well. Among all active players in NCAA Division II, Steffeck is #1 in career steals average and #2 in total career steals. Across all divisions of the NCAA she ranks #5 and #4, respectively, in those same categories.
 
CHASING 1,000
There are three Orediggers within striking distance of 1,000 career points. Sammy Van Sickle is the closest. She boasts 897 points for her career and needs just 103 in the last 10 games of the regular season. Van Sickle also touts 789 rebounds which puts her in the conversation for 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds for a career. Next closest is Ashley Steffeck who currently owns 853 career points. Megan Van de Graaf rounds out the trio at 783 career points. While all three reaching the milestone could be a tall task, it's not out of the question with a deep postseason run.
 
OTHER MILESTONES
The duo of Ashley Steffeck and Sammy Van Sickle isn't just chasing 1,000 points or a steals record. Those two Orediggers are also climbing Mines' all-time ranks in many other categories. Currently, Van Sickle is #5 and Steffeck is #10 in all-time three-point field goals made. In the race for career assists, Van Sickle is #5 and Steffeck is #8. Steffeck isn't the only one climbing the all-time steals ranks either. Van Sickle is #5 and 12 away from #4. Furthermore, Van Sickle currently ranks #5 in career blocks and #4 in career rebounds.
 
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 #1 in total wins, fewest losses and winning percentage. The University of Colorado (DI) is the only team of the 21 in Colorado that has matched Mines' overall performance this season.
 
IN THE RANKINGS
Two losses last weekend hurt the Orediggers but didn't drop them out of the national rankings. The week nine edition of the national polls saw Mines take #24 in the media poll sponsored by D2SIDA while slipping to #19 in the coaches' poll. The Orediggers remain the only Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference team appearing in the top-25.
 
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 173 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 188-110 (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 home Jan. 27-28 to host Fort Lewis and Adams State at Lockridge Arena. Friday's tipoff against FLC is 5:30 p.m. and Saturday against ASU starts at 5 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at www.minesathletics.com/tickets. They can also be purchased at the door. Live stats and free video will be offered at www.minesathletics.com as well.
 
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.