#16 Mines (21-4, 17-3 RMAC) at Colorado Christian (18-8, 14-6 RMAC) – Friday, 5:30 p.m. – Alamosa, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
#16 Mines (21-4, 17-3 RMAC) at Fort Lewis (9-17, 6-14 RMAC) – Saturday, 5 p.m. – Durango, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]

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CHASING THE CROWN
The final weekend of the 2022-23 regular season has arrived, and the #16 Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team is in contention for a RMAC Championship. Two games remain for the Orediggers as they head to Adams State on Friday night and Fort Lewis on Saturday night. Two wins clinch at least a share of the conference crown for Mines. Two wins and a Regis loss gives the Orediggers their third straight outright title.
 
PLAYING TUESDAY
No matter what happens this weekend, Mines has clinched a first-round home game in the 2023 RMAC Women's Basketball Tournament. That means the Orediggers will be back at Lockridge Arena on Tuesday, Feb. 28. Their opponent is yet to be determined, but tipoff will be at 5:30 p.m.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
All RMAC contests 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
The Orediggers closed the home portion of their regular-season schedule last weekend with wins against Colorado Christian and Chadron State. Mines took down Colorado Christian by a score of 70-69 on Friday. The back-and-forth affair saw Ashley Steffeck hit a pair of game-winning free throws before CCU missed a last-second layup for the win. Josephine Howery finished the game with 16 points and five assists. Saturday marked Senior Day for the Orediggers and they delivered a 100-62 victory against Chadron State. Megan Van de Graaf poured in 19 points, Sammy Van Sickle had a 10-point, 13-rebound double-double, and Ashley Van Sickle notched eight points, five assists, two rebounds, two steals, and one block. That trio was honored for Senior Night at halftime of the men's game.
 
SCOUTING ADAMS STATE
Adams State has continued its resurgence as a threat in women's basketball throughout the season. The Grizzlies enter the final weekend of the regular season touting an overall record of 18-8 while sitting 14-6 in RMAC play. Last weekend, ASU extended its win streak to five games on Friday with a 77-72, overtime victory at South Dakota Mines. That run was halted Saturday as the Grizzlies fell, 67-60, at the hands of Black Hills State. As a team, Adams State averages 74.2 points per game which ranks #2 in the conference. The Grizzlies give up 63.7 points per game to the opposition giving them the #2 scoring margin in the RMAC. Individually, ASU is led by the duo of Harmanie Dominguez and Angelline Nageak. Dominguez averages 12.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. Nageak is one of the premier defenders in the RMAC and the country thanks to 85 steals for the season while also dishing out 4.0 assists per game and scoring 8.8 points. Her total steals rank #3 in NCAA Division II and her steals per game are #5 in the nation. Overall, Adams State is #4 in the nation in steals per game, #5 in turnover margin, and #6 in turnovers forced per game.
 
SERIES HISTORY – ASU
Earlier this season, Mines defeated Adams State by a score of 80-69 in Golden, Colo. That win moved the Orediggers to 29-34 in the all-time series against the Grizzlies. The victory also marked Mines' 14th straight win over ASU. In the game, Ashley Steffeck poured in 29 points, dished out five assists, and swiped four steals. Jenna Siebert chipped in 13 points. Mines hasn't lost toe Adams State since Jan. 13, 2012. Part of the Orediggers' 14-game run against the Grizzlies was a 79-36 win on Jan. 10, 2020, which marked Mines' largest margin of victory over ASU. The closest game during the win streak was a 57-52 decision in Alamosa on Jan. 29, 2022. In that contest, Courtney Stanton scored 14 points and Denali Pinto became Mines' all-time leading scorer with 10 points in a come-from-behind win.
 
SCOUTING FORT LEWIS
Fort Lewis starts its weekend hosting MSU Denver on Friday evening. The Skyhawks are 9-17 overall and 6-14 in RMAC play. They have been mathematically eliminated from postseason play, but do have Senior Night to celebrate against the Orediggers. Saturday will also be a "Beach Out" at Whalen Gymnasium. The latest action for FLC has resulted in a three-game losing streak. The Skyhawks lost to Black Hills State last Monday in Durango, and fell again to Black Hills State on Friday in Spearfish, S.D. On Saturday, South Dakota Mines took it to the Skyhawks in a 93-73 decision in Rapid City. Lanae Billy and Kelsey Sorenson are the individual starts for FLC. Billy leads the team in scoring with 16.3 points per game while also tossing in 3.7 rebounds, 2.1 steals, and 1.2 assists per contest. Sorenson pours in 13.0 points per night and averages 7.1 rebounds. Also notable are Billy's 67 three-pointers for the season. As a team, Fort Lewis owns a negative scoring margin of 8.4 due to 61.4 points per game for compared to 69.8 points per game against. The biggest story is in the turnover battle where the Skyhawks cough up 18.1 turnovers per game.
 
SERIES HISTORY – FLC
Mines and Fort Lewis faced off earlier this season in Golden. The Orediggers ran away to a 74-45 win led by Sammy Van Sickle's 12 points, eight rebounds, five steals, three blocks and three assists. Ashley Steffeck also scored 12 points with seven rebounds, five steals, four assists and one block. Twelve different Orediggers found the scoring column as well. That win improved Mines to 24-37 in the all-time series against FLC. The Orediggers have won five straight in the series and are 7-3 in the last 10 meetings. Mines' average margin of victory during its longest win streak in the rivalry has been 24 points per game. The Orediggers haven't lost to the Skyhawks since Jan. 11, 2020. The Orediggers haven't lost in Durango since Feb. 17, 2017.
 
REGIONAL RANKINGS
The second edition of the NCAA South Central Regional rankings came on Wednesday afternoon, but it was the first edition where teams were actually ranked. Mines debuted at #1 in the region, putting the Orediggers in the driver's seat to host the first three rounds of the NCAA tournament. It's the second time Mines has appeared at #1 in the region after the Orediggers claimed the top spot in the West Region during the 2020-21, pandemic-impacted season. The rest of the rankings included #2 Angelo State, #3 Texas Woman's, #4 Black Hills State, #5 Lubbock Christian, #6 Texas A&M-Kingsville, #7 UT Tyler, #8 West Texas A&M, #9 Regis, and #10 Westminster. There will be two more versions of the regional rankings with the last coming on Sunday, March 5, which will determine who advances to the national postseason.
 
THE REGIONAL BRACKET
If the NCAA tournament started today, Mines would host and play West Texas A&M in the first round. The other matchups as of Wednesday's rankings include Angelo State and UT Tyler, Texas Woman's and Texas A&M Kingsville, and Black Hills State facing Lubbock Christian. The first and second rounds are slated for March 10-11. The championship game for the South Central Region is scheduled for Monday, March 13, with the winner advancing to the NCAA Elite Eight in St. Joseph, Mo.
 
THE RMAC BRACKET
Mines and Regis have both locked up a #1 or #2 seed depending on results from this coming weekend. If the Orediggers and Rangers finish with the same record, they will be named RMAC Co-Champions and RU will be the #1 seed in the conference tournament thanks to its head-to-head win against Mines. The rest of the projected bracket is a bit of a mess. Currently, as of Thursday, Black Hills State is #3, Adams State is #4, Westminster is #5, MSU Denver is #6, Colorado Mesa is #7, CSU Pueblo is #8, and UCCS is #9. The rest of the conference has been eliminated from a shot at postseason play. If the RMAC postseason started today, Regis would host CSU Pueblo, Mines would host Colorado Mesa, Black Hills State would welcome MSU Denver, and Westminster would go to Adams State.
 
PUSH TO 1K
Ashley Steffeck, Megan Van de Graaf, and Sammy Van Sickle all continue to draw closer to 1,000 points for their respective careers. Steffeck is still the closest. She boasts 977 points in less than four seasons and needs just 11.5 per game this weekend to hit the milestone in the regular season. Van Sickle is not far behind. She owns 956 career points and would need 22 per game this weekend to reach quadruple digits. However, Mines is all but guaranteed at least two postseason games, if not more, putting Van Sickle just 11.0 points per game away. Van de Graaf has her work cut out for her at 912 career points, but has posted a strong surge as of late. Over her last 10 games she has averaged 15.6 points per game and 19.2 per contest in February. Based on guaranteed games remaining, the graduate student is looking at 22 points per game to reach the milestone. Win even one game in the postseason and that average drops to 17.6 per game. It will require some work, but is certainly attainable.
 
NATIONAL RANKINGS
With the release of numerical regional rankings, the national polls are all but a moot point. The national rankings have nothing (we repeat, NOTHING) to do with postseason selection. That being said, Mines continues to appear on the national lists. The latest releases had the Orediggers #16 in the media poll and #17 in the coaches' poll. No other RMAC team is nationally ranked. South Central Region foes Texas Woman's and UT Tyler are both in the top-25. Angelo State is receiving votes in both rankings. Ashland is the consensus #1 in the nation.
 
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 180 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.
 
AT THE HELM
Head Coach Brittany Simpson is in her 11th season leading the Mines women's basketball program. Mines' home game against Fort Lewis marked her 300th as head coach of the Orediggers. During her decade-plus tenure, she has become the winningest coach in program history both in terms of total wins and win percentage at 195-111 (63.7). 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 has clinched a berth and a top-four seed in the 2023 RMAC Women's Basketball Tournament. That means the Orediggers' next action will be at home on Tuesday, Feb. 28, at 5:30 p.m. against an unknown opponent. Live stats and free video on the RMAC Network will be offered at www.minesathletics.com. Pass lists are not allowed in the postseason.
 
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.