RAPID CITY, S.D. – Shelby Nichols had a career scoring night for the #11-ranked Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team on Friday as the Orediggers earned an 81-67 win against South Dakota Mines inside the King Center.
 
Nichols finished the game with 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the floor. She also had four rebounds, three steals, and three assists. Ashley Steffeck added 15 points with seven rebounds, two blocks, and one steal. Loralee Stock and Josephine Howery combined for 23 points to make it a quartet of Orediggers scoring in double digits. Howery dished out three assists and grabbed five rebounds as well. Other notables included nine points in eight minutes for Suni Davis as well as perfect shooting from Audrey Beaty.
 
Colorado School of Mines (8-1, 3-0 RMAC) pushed its win streak to six games thanks to a 33-21 rebounding advantage. The Orediggers boosted their winning effort by shooting over 53 percent from the floor and 55 percent from three-point range. South Dakota Mines (0-8, 0-3 RMAC) matched the visitors with nine steals and only had one more turnover. The Hardrockers even converted at 44 percent from the floor and drained seven three-pointers, but only made eight of 13 free-throw attempts. Double-digit margins in points in the paint and points in the paint solidified the Orediggers' 14-point win. Both teams found 17 points of their respective benches, but Colorado School of Mines outscored the South Dakota squad on fast breaks, 15-2.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Colorado School of Mines and South Dakota Mines exchanged jabs early in the opening period before the Orediggers exploded on a 9-0 run to take a 12-7 lead. Then, Davis came off the bench and dropped five unanswered to make the visitors' lead 22-11. Stock sank a pair of free throws and pushed her Colorado squad to 24-11. However, the Hardrockers closed the period on a 10-2 run to pull within five points at the first break despite Davis' seven first-quarter points.
 
Stock dropped eight more points in the second quarter while Steffeck pulled down four rebounds. That helped the Orediggers take a 44-35 lead into halftime. South Dakota Mines road a 6-2 surge out of the break, but the ladies from Colorado squashed the rally with an 8-2 run of their own. Nichols and Steffeck highlighted the third period with six points apiece, and sent the Orediggers in to the final frame touting a 64-51 lead. Seven more points off the hand of Nichols put the cherry on top of a 17-16 fourth quarter and another double-digit win for Colorado School of Mines.
 
NOTABLES
- The Orediggers are 12-6 in the all-time series against the Hardrockers including an active, seven-game win streak when facing South Dakota Mines.
- Colorado School of Mines hasn't lost to SDM since Feb. 22, 2020.
- All seven wins in the Orediggers' run against the Hardrockers have come by double digits.
- Colorado School of Mines is now one of two undefeated teams in the RMAC in 2023-24. Adams State is also 3-0.
- Beaty was 3-for-3 from the floor on Friday night.
- Nichols' 19 points and three steals both marked single-game, career highs for the fifth-year center.
- Howery now boasts 100 steals for her career.
- Steffeck's seven rebounds put her over 600 career boards.
- Isa Hensley made her collegiate debut on Friday night with two points, one steal, and one rebound while going 1-for-1 from the floor in less than two minutes of action.
- Head Coach Brittany Simpson is 206-115 in her 12th season leading Mines.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
The Orediggers play Black Hills State in Spearfish, S.D., on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. Live stats and free video on the RMAC Network will be available at www.minesathletics.com.
 
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.­­­