Mines (3-1) vs. Cameron (2-2) – Friday, 5 p.m. – Lockridge Arena [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
#18 Regis (4-0) vs. #10 MSU Billings (5-1) – Friday, 7 p.m. – Lockridge Arena [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
Mines (3-1) vs. #10 MSU Billings (5-1) – Saturday, 5 p.m. – Lockridge Arena [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
#18 Regis (4-0) vs. Cameron (2-2) – Saturday, 7 p.m. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]

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HOSTING THE THANKSGIVING CLASSIC
Just one day after the indulgences and celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday, the Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team will host its own Thanksgiving Classic at Lockridge Arena. The Orediggers' guests will be Cameron, #10 MSU Billings, and #18 Regis. Mines faces Cameron at 5 p.m. on Friday with the Rangers taking on the Yellowjackets at 7 p.m. Saturday sets up a showdown between the Orediggers and MSU Billings at 5 p.m. with RU and Cameron in the 7 p.m. slot.
 
DONATE FOR ADMISSION
Free admission will be given to all fans for all four games this weekend. However, fans are strongly encouraged to bring nonperishable food items or monetary donations to give to Blaster's Basket and the Mines Student Emergency Fund. Donating is 100% voluntary. Blaster's Basket is an on-campus food pantry to help students who may not have enough to eat. The Student Emergency Fund is a pool of money available to help students through unexpected emergency situations. They can access the money through an application process.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
Fans who can't make it to Lockridge Arena this Friday and Saturday can still catch all the action. Live streaming of each contest will be offered free of charge on the RMAC Network. The RMAC Network can be loaded on your phone or downloaded on any smart TV/live streaming device by searching RMAC. There will also be free live stats linked above and at www.minesathletics.com.
 
LONE STAR LOOKBACK
Last week, Mines took a road trip to Texas where it faced then-#24 Texas Woman's and West Texas A&M. On Thursday in Denton, Texas, the Orediggers battled undefeated TWU but still took a 72-66 loss despite Loralee Stock, Shelby Nichols, and Josephine Howery all scoring in double digits. The Pioneers went to the free-throw line 25 times. Mines bounced back on Saturday with an 81-78 victory over WTAMU in Canyon, Texas. The Orediggers earned their first-ever victory against the Lady Buffs behind Emma Sixta's 16 points, three rebounds, four assists, and one steal. Jenna Siebert also came up big with 13 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and one steal.
 
CLIMBING THE RANKS
Ashley Steffeck is just four games into her final collegiate season, but her revision of the program record book is well under way. She has already climbed to #8 on Mines' all-time scoring list with 1,181 career points. She's on the precipice of breaking onto the all-time rebounds list thanks to 578 career boards. Steffeck is also #6 in career three-pointers made thanks to 155 from behind the arc. Furthermore, the Fort Collins, Colo., native has taken over the #5 slot in both career assists (316), and career free throws made (266). The cherry on top is that Steffeck already owns nearly every program record in steals including the career mark thanks to 336 swipes and counting.
 
NOBODY HAS MORE
Based on the previous section, it should come as no surprise that Ashley Steffeck is the active career leader in steals – across all three levels of the NCAA. She's listed atop the list of active NCAA Division II players with 336 steals which are 25 more than the #2 player in DII, 24 more than the DI active career leader, and 50 ahead of the DIII leader. Additionally, Steffeck ranks #2 among active players in NCAA Division II in career steals average at 3.00 per game.
 
DROPPING DIMES
The ranking isn't eye-popping, but the efficiency and production is. Mines' 17.5 assists per game currently ranks #25 in NCAA Division II this season. It's notable because five different Orediggers are dishing out at least 2.0 assists per game. Shelby Nichols started the season by handing out four assists each through the first two games. Those both marked career highs for the fifth-year post. Last weekend, Jenna Siebert dropped four dimes per game during Mines' trip to Texas. Leading the way for the Orediggers is the aforementioned Ashley Steffeck. She's averaging 3.5 assists per game while shooting up the program's all-time list.
 
WE'LL TAKE THE CHARITY
As a team, the Orediggers are #5 in all of NCAA Division II in free-throw percentage so far this season. They are shooting 84.1 percent from the charity stripe thanks to 69 makes in 82 attempts. That efficiency includes a game at Texas Woman's where Mines only had six free-throw attempts. Ashley Steffeck has reached the line 14 times and only missed one. Loralee Stock has 13 free-throw attempts and 11 makes. Audrey Beaty is 10-of-12 at the stripe.
 
SPLASH
Mines, like any other team, has not been immune to the rise in popularity in taking three-point shots, and the not-so-new trend is paying off for the Orediggers. As a team, they are #6 in DII in three-pointers per game, making an average of 9.8 per contest from behind the arc. That number is fueled by Ashley Steffeck who has made 14 through four games. Ten of those long-range makes came in the first two games. Steffeck, as an individual, is #22 in the nation in total three-pointers made and #10 in three-pointers made per game.
 
SCOUTING CAMERON
The Cameron women's basketball team will travel to Golden, Colo., from Lawton, Okla., with a 2-2 record in tow. The Aggies started 2023-24 with a 63-53 home loss to Adams State. They followed up with a 74-64 win against UCCS. A midweek contest at Harding resulted in a 67-46 defeat. Last Friday, Cameron toppled rival Central Oklahoma for the first time in 17 tries thanks to a 63-60 margin. The Aggies average 59 points per game while giving up 63.5 per contest to the opposition. As a team, CU converts at 85 percent at the free-throw line. Shamica Smith and Katie King are the individuals to watch. Smith averages 18.8 points, 10 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. She has no blocked shots. King puts up 13.5 points, grabs 4.5 rebounds, dishes out 1.5 assists, and grabs 2.0 steals per contest.
 
OREDIGGERS AGAINST THE AGGIES
Mines and Cameron have only faced off in women's basketball once before. The Orediggers and Aggies played a game in Golden, Colo., on Nov. 30, 2013. Cameron won the contest by a score of 80-68.
 
SCOUTING MSU BILLINGS
Montana State University Billings enters the weekend ranked #10 in the nation in the coaches' poll and #14 in the nation in the media poll. The Yellowjackets earned their national standing thanks to a 5-1 start to the season. Their only loss was to then-#24 Texas Woman's. That was a thrilling, 73-72 contest on MSU Billings' home court. Since then, the Yellowjackets have won five straight facing University of Mary, Florida Tech, Hawaii Hilo, Hawaii Pacific, and Minot State. Most notable to dates is that MSU Billings commits just 11.8 turnovers per game which is #7 in the nation. That makes the Yellowjackets' assist-to-turnover ratio 1.31 which is #14 in all of DII. They are led by Kola Bad Bear's 15.8 points per game. They halso have Dyauni Boyce averaging 13.7 points per game and Shayla Mantague adding 11.3 points per game. Presumed point guard Aspen Giese dishes out 3.7 assists per contest while averaging 8.7 points and 4.2 rebounds.
 
OREDIGGERS AGAINST THE YELLOW JACKETS
Colorado School of Mines and Montana State University Billings have faced off on the hardwood six times prior to this weekend' Thanksgiving Classic. The Yellow Jackets have won all six. The all-time series began in 1991 with a 78-34 decision. The Orediggers and Yellowjackets last played on Nov. 23, 2008, in Billings, Mont. The home team earned a 91-82 victory there. That was four years before current Mines Head Coach Brittany Simpson took the helm for the Orediggers.
 
REGIS RANKED
While Mines won't face Regis this weekend, it is worth mentioning that the Rangers will make it two nationally-ranked teams playing in Lockridge Arena on Friday and Saturday. The latest coaches' poll has RU #18 after receiving votes last week. In the media poll, Regis rose two spots from #15 to #13. The Orediggers and Rangers are slated to play once this season. That will be on Friday, Jan. 19, in Golden, Colo.
 
200 WINS
Mines' win against St. Edward's on opening weekend gave Mines Head Coach Brittany Simpson the 200th win of her career. It makes Simpson the only head coach in program history to reach the milestone. By default, it also makes her the fastest to 200 career wins in the history of Mines women's basketball. The milestone added to Simpson's impressive resume which saw her become the winningest coach in the history of Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball on Dec. 4, 2020, in a 68-53 win over South Dakota Mines inside Lockridge Arena. Simpson is now in her 12th season as skipper of the Orediggers.
 
BOSS LADY
Head Coach Brittany Simpson is in her 12th 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 201-114 (63.8). Simpson is responsible for all three of the program's RMAC titles including regular-season championships in 2015-16, 2020-21, and 2021-22. She has also led the Orediggers in four of their five trips to the NCAA tournament. Simpson is a three-time RMAC Coach of the Year who has guided 34 All-RMAC selections including 14 first-teamers, 11 second-teamers, one third-team selection and eight honorable mention performers. She has also coached one RMAC Player of the Year, two RMAC Defensive Players of the Year, and two RMAC Freshman of the Year award winners. Eight of Mines' 13 1,000-point scorers have surpassed the milestone under Simpson's watch. Last season, Ashley Steffeck became the first all-American in program history after earning Honorable Mention All-America status from the Women's Basketball Coaches' Association (WBCA).
 
HOME HEAVY SCHEDULE
Mines is playing six of its first eight games inside the friendly confines of Lockridge Arena. That stretch includes the region crossover event, the Thanksgiving Classic, and the Orediggers' first two RMAC games on Dec. 1 and Dec. 2. In December, Mines takes a four-game road trip which includes stops in South Dakota, at MSU Denver, and at Western Colorado. A January 6 contest against Colorado Christian opens the new year. Overall, fifteen of Mines' 28 games in the regular season will be played inside Lockridge Arena. They will also host four neutral site games including the two this weekend.
 
IN THE POLLS
Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball was picked #2 in the RMAC preseason coaches' poll released last month. The Orediggers' projected finish came by way of 168 points including one first-place vote. They finished 24 points behind defending RMAC champion Regis. The Rangers accumulated 192 points on 12 first-place votes to take the top spot. CSU Pueblo came in at #3 on the merits of 165 points and two first-place votes. Adams State rounded out the top four with 164 points. The preseason list was voted on by all 15 head coaches in the league. Coaches could not vote for their own team.
 
UP NEXT
Mines starts its RMAC slate next weekend. The Orediggers host Colorado Mesa on Friday at 5:30 p.m. and Westminster on Saturday at 5 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at www.minesathletics.com/tickets. Free live video on the RMAC Network and live stats will be available for both contests.
 
Fans can keep up with Mines women's basketball on "X" (formerly Twitter) and Instagram at @MinesWBB. They can also keep up with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all year long on Facebook, "X" and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics.