GOLDEN, Colo. – Ashley Steffeck's free throws in the finals seconds of the game on Friday evening gave the #18 Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team its 20th win of the season as the Orediggers took a narrow, 70-69 win from Colorado Christian inside Lockridge Arena.
 
Steffeck's late, game-winning free throws gave her six points for the game. She also had four steals, four assists and two rebounds. Offensively, it was Josephine Howery leading all players with 16 points while dishing out five assists. Defensively, Howery added two steals and one block. Other double-digit scorers included Megan Van de Graaf pouring in 13 points and Jessica Rios notching 10 points. Also notable were eight rebounds by Rios and Sammy Van Sickle's game resume of nine points, six rebounds, two blocks, one steal and one assist.
 
Mines (20-4, 16-3 RMAC) overcame 36-percent shooting from the floor and 26-percent shooting from three-point range by forcing 21 turnovers. Colorado Christian (10-15, 6-13 RMAC) was red-hot from the floor, shooting 52 percent for the game. The Cougars nearly matched the Orediggers on the glass with 35 rebounds. However, Mines only turned the ball over 12 times and racked up 10 steals compared to five steals by CCU. The visitors also suffered a 63-percent free-throw percentage.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Friday's showdown was a defensive battle from the start. More than five minutes of action passed to start the game and only nine combined points were scored. Colorado Christian held the 5-4 advantage after the first-quarter media timeout, and it went to 9-4 amid a 6-0 run by CCU. Rios put together her own 5-0 run to tie the game at 11. Sammy Van Sickle gave the Orediggers a 4-0 run to end the quarter with Mines leading 13-11. The second period was much of the same, but with more scoring as the Cougars scored 17 points and Mines scored 18 points. After 20 minutes of action, the home team owned a 33-30 advantage.
 
The third quarter featured a 7-0 run by the Orediggers which gave them a 49-40 lead. But Colorado Christian clapped back and closed the frame on a 11-2 surge. That made the score 51-51 with 10 minutes to play. And what a 10 minutes it was. The visitors pushed their lead to four points on three different occasions, and made it a five-point margin with 5:11 remaining in the game. At that point, Mines began clawing its way back. Shelby Nichols hit a jumper and two free throws, making it a 64-63 lead for CCU. The 2:42 mark in the fourth quarter saw Sammy Van Sickle nail a jump shot to tie the game, 65-65. It was a whole new game with both teams seeing which could score more points in two minutes and 42 seconds of action. Colorado Christian scored the first four points in the mini game. The Orediggers found themselves facing a 69-65 disadvantage with 1:23 on the clock.
 
However, CCU would not score again. Rios slid in a layup on a pass from Howery at the 1:17 mark. Van de Graaf pulled down a huge defensive rebound which eventually led to a Sammy Van Sickle free throw with 24 seconds to play. After a Colorado Christian timeout, the ball was advanced to the visitors' front court. On the Cougars' inbound play, Steffeck forced a CCU turnover as she hit the ball out of bounds off the foot of the Colorado Christian guard. Officials' review confirmed the call, and Mines took a timeout. The result of the timeout was Steffeck driving to the basket and getting fouled on her shot. With eight seconds on the clock, Steffeck stepped to the free throw line and swished both opportunities to give Mines a 70-69 lead. The Cougars called a timeout and even got the look they wanted on their final play. But the challenged CCU layup rolled off the rim, Rios grabbed the rebound, the Orediggers escaped with victory, and Mines fans all probably though, "this is dank."
 
NOTABLES
- Mines improved to 39-23 in the all-time series against Colorado Christian.
- The Orediggers have won eight straight games against the Cougars and haven't lost to CCU since Feb. 11, 2017.
- Friday's game between Mines and Colorado Christian featured eight ties and 12 lead changes.
- Mines locked in its second straight 20-win season and fourth overall. It's the first time in program history the Orediggers have won 20 games in back-to-back campaigns.
- With Friday's victory Mines tied Regis for #1 in the RMAC standings.
- Rios' eight rebounds against CCU were a career high for the transfer from Sacramento State.
- Howery matched her single-game, career high in assists (5) and free throws (6). She also had five assists and six free throws against CSU Pueblo earlier this season.
- Sammy Van Sickle has blocked multiple shots in nine of her last 11 games.
- Steffeck surpassed 500 rebounds for her career thanks to two rebounds against Colorado Christian.
- Steffeck also tied Heather Hoops for #7 on Mines' all-time assists list.
- Head Coach Brittany Simpson is 194-111 in her 11th season leading the Orediggers.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
The Orediggers close the home portion of their regular-season schedule on Saturday afternoon, hosting Chadron State at 3:30 p.m. Senior Night will be celebrated at halftime of the men's game. Live stats and free video will be offered at www.minesathletics.com. Tickets can be purchased online or at the door.
 
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.­­­