Regis (0-0) vs. St. Edward's (0-0) – Friday, 11 a.m. – Lockridge Arena [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
Mines (0-0) vs. St. Mary's (0-0) – Friday, 1 p.m. – Lockridge Arena [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
Regis (0-0) vs. St. Mary's (0-0) – Saturday, 10 a.m. – Lockridge Arena [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
Mines (0-0) vs. St. Edward's (0-0) – Saturday, 12 p.m. – Lockridge Arena [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]

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WHERE THE WEST LIVES
This weekend marks the start of the 2023-24 season for the Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team, and the Orediggers are set to welcome three teams from the South Central Region to beautiful Golden, Colo. Mines is hosting the annual region crossover event with fellow RMAC member Regis along with Lone Star Conference members St. Mary's and St. Edward's coming to Lockridge Arena. The Orediggers' contests include a showdown against St. Mary's on Friday at 1 p.m. followed by a meeting with St. Edward's at 12 p.m. on Saturday. Regis faces St. Edward's on Friday at 11 a.m. and St. Mary's on Saturday at 10 a.m. It will mark the third straight year that Mines has opened the season in the same format against the same teams.
 
GET YOUR TICKETS
Fans are encouraged to purchase digital tickets or print tickets at home ahead of this weekend's games by going to www.minesathletics.com/tickets. This will expedite the entry process to Lockridge Arena. Ticket prices are $10 for adults and $5 for children, seniors, and military members. Mines faculty, staff, and students get in free with their Blaster Card.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
Live video for all four games will be offered for free on the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Network which can be found at www.minesathletics.com/tv or on any smart TV or streaming stick by searching RMAC. Additionally there will be live stats linked above and HERE.
 
THE RETURNERS
Mines' 2023-24 roster features 15 student-athletes and 10 of them are returners. At the top of the list of veterans are Josephine Howery, Jessica Rios, and Ashley Steffeck who were starters in 2022-23. That trio accounts for more than 40 percent of the Orediggers' offense from last season. Key reserves for Mines who are back for the upcoming season include Jenna Siebert, Shelby Nichols, and Loralee Stock who all recorded significant minutes last year. Suni Davis, Saya Sabus, Quincey Baum, and Alison Kantor are also back for another season of college basketball.
 
FRESH FACES
During the offseason, Mines Head Coach Brittany Simpson bolstered her roster with five newcomers. Peyton Freiermuth, Isa Hensley, Emma Sixta, and Michaela Lee all arrived in Golden this fall as true freshmen. Freiermuth came to Colorado from Austin, Texas, and Austin High School. Hensley and Sixta both came south from Portland, Ore., with Hensley hailing from Franklin High School and Sixta graduating from Jesuit High School. Lee arrived at Mines by way of Arizona. Audrey Beaty rounded out the quartet as a transfer from Emporia State where she played her freshman season in 2022-23. In her first year of collegiate play, Beaty totaled 36 blocks, 19 steals, and 15 assists while averaging 3.2 points and 3.4 rebounds in 18.3 minutes per game.

BOSS LADY
Head Coach Brittany Simpson enters 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 198-114 (63.4). 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).
 
CHASING HISTORY
Aforementioned Oredigger guard Ashley Steffeck is back for her final year of collegiate eligibility. While she has already made program history multiple times over, she has a chance to make more history this season. The Fort Collins, Colo., native starts her collegiate finale already listed 23 times in the program record book. Included in those listings are all-time leader in career steals, steals in a season, and steals in a game. She also has 1,108 career points which ranks #9 in program history. In the scoring category, Steffeck needs just 67 points to move into a tie for #8. Overall, she's 544 points away from the career record. The crafty veteran is also #7 in all-time three-pointers made at 141. She's one away from tying #6 and 91 from the program record. Steffeck is also chasing history in career assists. With 302 across the last four season, she needs just 13 to tie for #5 and 95 to tie the record. More history is sure to come, but for now you can keep your eyes on scoring, three-pointers, and assists.
 
HOME HEAVY SCHEDULE
After opening weekend, Mines will take a quick road trip to Texas where the Orediggers face #24 Texas Woman's and West Texas A&M. After that, Mines returns home for four straight games including the Thanksgiving Classic with Regis, Cameron, and #15 MSU Billings coming to Lockridge Arena. That stretch also includes the Orediggers' conference openers against Colorado Mesa and Westminster. 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.
 
LAST SEASON
During the 2022-23 campaign, Mines went 24-7 overall while posting an 18-4 mark in RMAC play. The Orediggers' conference mark resulted in the #2 seed for the league tournament as they ran to the championship game against regular-season champions Regis. Mines' overall mark helped the team earn a third consecutive berth in the NCAA tournament. The fourth-seeded Orediggers fell in the first round to fifth-seeded and eventual region champion UT Tyler. Individually, Sammy Van Sickle was voted RMAC Defensive Player of the Year while earning First-Team All-RMAC distinction. Ashley Steffeck and Megan Van de Graaf were also voted First-Team All-RMAC. Steffeck and Van Sickle were also voted all-region. Steffeck was further recognized as a WBCA Honorable Mention All-American – the first in program history. Overall, the 2022-23 Mines women's team finished with the highest scoring average in program history at 72.8 points per game as the squad combined to make 18 edits to the program record book.
 
SCOUTING ST. MARY'S
The Rattlers of St. Mary's out of San Antonio, Texas, finished the 2022-23 season with an overall record of 8-20 while going 4-18 in Lone Star Conference (LSC) play. Second year Head Coach Valerie Huizar returns two starters from her 2022-23 squad. Natalia Ryng and Teanna Huggins started all 28 games last season. Huggins was second on the team in scoring, averaging 7.9 points per game. Ryng was second on the team in rebounding thanks to 5.0 boards per game. Reyelle Frazier and Ariah Powell are also back for StMU after seeing time as starters in 2022-23. Frazier totaled 59 points and 67 rebounds across 500 minutes of action. Powell tallied 175 points, 59 rebounds and 24 steals. That duo also notched 32 assists apiece.
 
OREDIGGERS AGAINST THE RATTLERS
Mines is 2-2 in the all-time series against St. Mary's. The two teams first played on Jan. 22, 1997. The Rattlers won that game, 53-49, in San Antonio. St. Mary's also won a neutral-site contest on Nov. 19, 2016, in Lubbock, Texas. That final margin was 75-61. The Orediggers earned their first win in the rivalry in their 2021-22 season opener. It was an 85-54 win played at Regis Field House. Last year, Mines evened the series thanks to an 86-45 victory in San Antonio. Six different Orediggers scored in double figures in that game, led by Ashley Steffeck's 15 points. Steffeck also had five steals and four rebounds. Jessica Rios and Josephine Howery combined for 22 points, four rebounds, four assists, and six steals. Also notable were 14 points in 18 minutes from Loralee Stock along with 10 points and six boards from Shelby Nichols.
 
SCOUTING ST. EDWARD'S
The Hilltoppers open their 2023-24 season on Friday morning against Regis. They finished the 2022-23 season with an overall record of 14-17 while going 10-12 in LSC action. St. Edward's season came to an end in the first round of the LSC tournament with a 62-50 loss to top-seeded Texas Woman's. The team graduated leading scorer Morgan Gary and the program's all-time leader in blocked shots Sammie Dufek. This season's squad will be led by captains Ronnie Cantu and Jayda Ruffus-Milner. Cantu's resume from last season included 6.8 points and 2.9 rebounds per game along with 70 assists, 26 steals and two blocks. Ruffus-Milner, like Cantu, started all 31 games and averaged 11.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 1.4 assists per game.
 
OREDIGGERS AGAINST THE HILLTOPPERS
Colorado School of Mines and St. Edward's have faced off in women's basketball six times with Mines leading the all-time series, 4-2. The rivalry began in 2016 in Lakewood, Colo., with a 78-71, overtime win for the Orediggers. Mines and SEU last played on opening weekend in 2022-23. Mines won that contest by a score of 74-45 thanks in large part to Josephine Howery's 16 points, four rebounds, four assists, four steals, and one block. The Orediggers dropped back-to-back games to SEU in 2018-19 and 2019-20. They now have won two straight over the Hilltoppers.
 
SIMPSON'S SEASON OPENERS
Since arriving in Golden at the start of the 2012-13 campaign, Head Coach Brittany Simpson has guided her team to a 6-5 record in season openers. That mark includes three straight wins dating back to the 2020-21 season. The Orediggers toppled MSU Denver to start that campaign. They defeated St. Mary's, 85-54 to open the 2021-22 slate. Last year featured an 86-45 win at St. Mary's. Friday will only be Coach Simpson's second season opener at home since 2015.
 
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
After opening weekend, Mines hits the road for Texas where the Orediggers will play #24 Texas Woman's on Thursday, Nov. 16, at 6 p.m. (CT). They close the road trip on Saturday, Nov. 18, at West Texas A&M at 1 p.m. (CT).
 
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, Twitter and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics.