SPEARFISH, S.D. – The #15-ranked Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team parlayed 47 combined points from Ashley Steffeck and Megan Van de Graaf into a 72-58 win against Black Hills State on Friday night.
 
Van de Graaf led all players with a career-high 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the field. Steffeck poured in 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field including a 6-for-6 mark from behind the three-point arc. Steffeck also led all players with nine rebounds and five steals. Sammy Van Sickle rounded out the highlights with a modest game resume featuring seven points, seven rebounds, three blocks and one steal.
 
With the victory, Mines (18-3, 14-2 RMAC) extended its winning streak to five games. The Orediggers also maintained a half-game lead in the conference standings. Black Hills State (16-4, 11-3 RMAC) saw its seven-game win streak come to a halt. The Yellow Jackets still hold sole possession of #3 in the RMAC standings. While Mines forced 19 BHSU turnovers with 10 steals, the difference in the game came from long range. The Orediggers went 8-of-15 from behind the arc to shoot 53 percent for the game as their defense held Black Hills State to just one three-pointer on 12 attempts.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The first quarter of the game was an absolute grind for the Orediggers while Black Hills State was soothed by a 21-11 lead like sassafras tea. However, that soothing comfort didn't last long as the visitors closed the deficit to 23-17 by the end of the period. Mines emerged from the first break and started the second quarter on a 4-0 run before closing it on a 9-0 run. In between, the Orediggers held the Yellow Jackets to just six points in 10 minutes on one field goal and four free throws. Josephine Howery drained a three-pointer at the halftime buzzer to add the exclamation point. It marked the lone lead change of the game with the Orediggers headed to the locker room touting a narrow, 32-29 advantage.
 
The second half was all Mines as the visitors pushed their lead to 12 points in the third quarter and all the way to 16 points in the fourth quarter. Through the final 20 minutes of action, Van de Graaf scored 14 points, Steffeck had 12 points, and Sammy Van Sickle pulled down five rebounds. Also included in the winning effort for the Orediggers were 30 points in the paint, 14 points off the bench, and 12 points off second chances.
 
NOTABLES
- Mines improved to 10-8 in the all-time series against Black Hills State.
- The Orediggers have not lost to the Yellow Jackets since Jan. 4, 2021.
- Van de Graaf's previous single-game scoring high was 23 points against Adams State last February.
- Steffeck has averaged 19.6 points per game over the course of Mines' five-game win streak.
- Friday night marked the Orediggers best three-point shooting game of the season in terms of shooting percentage.
- Black Hills State entered the game on Friday as the #1 defense in the RMAC. Mines scored over 70 points on the Yellow Jackets for the second time this season.
- Head Coach Brittany Simpson is 192-110 in her 11th season leading the Orediggers.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines finishes its road trip north on Saturday, playing against South Dakota Mines in Rapid City at 4 p.m. Live stats and free video on the RMAC Network will be offered at www.minesathletics.com.
 
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.­­­