SAN ANGELO, Texas – The Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team saw its 2022-23 season come to a close on Friday night as they fell to UT Tyler, 73-63, in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
 
Ashley Steffeck provided the Orediggers a herculean effort. Her final line featured 27 points, 13 rebounds, and seven steals. No other player from either team had more points, rebounds, or steals than Steffeck. Shelby Nichols also scored in double digits, posting a 10-point night on 50-percent shooting from the floor. Sammy Van Sickle provided 11 rebounds, three assist, two steals, and two blocks. Also notable was Megan Van de Graaf with seven points and nine rebounds along with two assists.
 
Mines (24-7) was able to force 17 turnovers by UT Tyler (25-7). Those turnovers came thanks to 12 Oredigger steals. Mines also blocked three shots, pulled down 45 rebounds, and dished out 10 assists. In comparison, the Patriots blocked zero shots, had 49 rebounds, six assists, and five steals. The difference in the game came on shooting percentage. The Orediggers shot just 28-percent from the field including a 20-percent clip from three-point range. UT Tyler converted at nearly 40 percent from the field and 42 percent from long range.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Three of the four quarters in Friday's first-round, NCAA tournament game were everything a basketball fan could want. The lords of basketball, hidden by the mirrored glass of the hospitality suite, presumably dine on caviar and watched a gritty classic unfold. Mines struck first and second with three-pointers off the hands of Jessica Rios and Steffeck. UT Tyler answered back with a slow, but sure, rally to tie the score, 17-17, at the first quarter break. The second period saw the Patriots go on a 7-0 run while limiting the Orediggers to 10 points on the way to a 34-27 lead at the half. It was a late three-pointer by Steffeck and Nichols' jumper at the buzzer that kept Mines within single digits of the lead.
 
Steffeck took over the third quarter, racking up seven points while pulling down seven rebounds. The Orediggers took that spark and clawed back within three points of the lead at 48-45. However, on a broken play with time expiring, UT Tyler found a three-pointer at the buzzer and pushed its advantage back to six points. That shot seemingly shifted the momentum in favor of the fifth-seeded Patriots. The evidence was a red-hot shooting percentage of 62.5 percent in the final period as they went 5-for-8 from the floor. Even though the Orediggers produced 25 shot attempts, they were only able to convert eight. UT Tyler went 7-of-10 at the free-throw line in the final 91 seconds to seal Mines' fate.
 
NOTABLES
- Friday marked the first-ever meeting between Mines and UT Tyler in women's basketball.
- It was also the final game in the careers of Megan Van de Graaf, Ashley Van Sickle, and Sammy Van Sickle.
- Van de Graaf closed her collegiate career with 989 points, 560 rebounds, 91 assists, 74 steals, and 23 blocks.
- Van de Graaf's career field-goal percentage of 51.8 ranks #2 in program history.
- Ashley Van Sickle wrapped up a career split between Montana State and Mines with 340 points, 197 rebounds, 189 assists, 97 steals, and seven blocks.
- Sammy Van Sickle's career resume features 1,018 points, 909 rebounds, 351 assists, 239 steals, and 160 blocks.
- Among numerous record book entries, Sammy Van Sickle finishes her career as the Orediggers' all-time leading rebounder while ranking #13 in all-time scoring, and #2 in all-time assists.
- Ashley Steffeck moved to #9 on Mines' all-time scoring list with 1,108 points in her career. Her 27 points against UT Tyler also gave her 463 for the season, tying Iva Tomova for #3 on the Orediggers' all-time, single-season scoring list.
- Over the last five games of the season, Steffeck averaged 24.6 points per game.
- Steffeck's double-double was her third of the season and eighth of her career as she matched her single-game best in rebounding.
- As team, the Orediggers broke the program record for season scoring average after posting 72.8 points per game this season.
- Head Coach Brittany Simpson is 198-114 after her 11th season leading the Orediggers.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines now enters the offseason with a variety of postseason awards to come. All awards and signing announcements for the Orediggers will be posted 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.­­­