#5/8 Mines (12-1, 7-0 RMAC) at CSU Pueblo (8-7, 3-4 RMAC) – Friday, 5:30 p.m. – Pueblo, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
#5/8 Mines (12-1, 7-0 RMAC) at New Mexico Highlands (4-10, 3-5 RMAC) – Saturday, 5 p.m. – Las Vegas, N.M. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]

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ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Nationally-ranked Colorado School of Mines women's basketball is back on the road this weekend. The #5/8-ranked Orediggers head to CSU Pueblo on Friday for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff. They'll be at New Mexico Highlands on Saturday for a 5 p.m. game. Mines has played four of its last five games on the road, and that number will be six of seven after this weekend. Even so, the Orediggers are #1 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) standings thanks to the longest active win streak in the league and the sixth-longest active run in all of NCAA Division II. Ten straight wins go on the line starting Friday night down south.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
Live streaming of both games this weekend will be offered free of charge on the RMAC Network. The RMAC Network can be loaded on your phone or downloaded on any smart TV/live streaming device by searching RMAC. There will also be free live stats linked above and at www.minesathletics.com.
 
HALFWAY THERE – ALMOST
After Friday's game at CSU Pueblo, the Orediggers will have played exactly half of their 2023-24, regular-season schedule. All 14 games that remain are RMAC contests. At worst, Mines will enter the second half of the season tied for #1 in the RMAC standings. Adams State is currently 6-1 and alone at #2. Through the first 13 games, the Orediggers have led the league in scoring thanks to 75.4 points per game. Their perennially dominant defense has dropped off and currently ranks #14 in the conference. That being said, Mines boasts a positive, average scoring margin of 7.3 points per game. That's tied for #3 in the league. Needless to say, there is plenty of basketball left to play, and in the RMAC, anything can happen.
 
THE STREAK
Mines opened the 2024 calendar with an 80-73 home win against Colorado Christian at Lockridge Arena. That victory pushed the Orediggers' win streak to 10 games. As referenced above, it's the longest active win streak in the RMAC and currently ranks #6 in the nation. The run started on Saturday, Nov. 18, with an 81-78 win at West Texas A&M making it 55 calendar days since Mines has suffered a loss. The Orediggers' only loss so far this season came on the road at the hands of then-#24 ranked Texas Woman's by a score of 72-66. The longest win streak in program history is 13 games. Mines won 13 straight in 2015-16 and 2021-22. Both of those campaigns resulted in the Orediggers winning the RMAC title. Only five other NCAA Division II programs have longer active win streaks than Mines. Those teams include #4/#3 Gannon, Lock Haven, #2/#6 Southern Nazarene, #15/#13 Harding, and #17/RV UT Tyler.
 
RISING IN THE RANKINGS
The latest NCAA Division II Women's Basketball rankings came out on Tuesday, and Colorado School of Mines moved up both lists for the fifth time this season. The Orediggers rose to #5 in the D2CSC Women's Basketball Division II Media Poll. The WBCA Division II Top 25 Women's Basketball Coaches' Poll pushed Mines to #8. It marks the program's highest-ever ranking in the coaches' poll and matches the Orediggers' best-ever position on the media's list. Head Coach Brittany Simpson's team is the only RMAC squad to appear in the latest top-25 polls. However, non-conference foes from earlier in the season are still making noise. MSU Billings is back up to #9 according to the D2CSC and #14 according to the WBCA. Texas Woman's is #16 on the coaches' list and #25 in the media poll.
 
ASHLEY STEFFECK WATCH
Colorado School of Mines graduate student and Oredigger guard Ashley Steffeck has been rewriting the program record book all season, and last weekend, that path hit another significant milestone. Her eight assists against Colorado Christian tied the Fort Collins, Colo., native for #2 on Mines' all-time assists list. At 351 dimes in 121 games, Steffeck matched former teammate Sammy Van Sickle (2018-23). The graduate of Fossil Ridge High School now needs 47 assists (3.13 apg) in the last 15 games to break Laura Tyree's (2013-17) career record of 397. Steffeck currently averages 3.8 assists through the first 13 games. Additionally, as of Thursday, Steffeck is #6 and closing in on #5 on the all-time scoring list. She's also #5 in career three-pointers and #4 in career free throws. Most Oredigger fans also know that Steffeck owns nearly every steals mark in the program record book.
 
BREAKING OUT
The 2023-24 campaign has seen contributions up and down Mines' roster. However, two Orediggers especially are putting together breakout seasons. Fifth-year player Loralee Stock has nearly triple her production from three-point range and doubled her efficiency at the free-throw line. The result is a scoring average that has doubled in comparison from the last four seasons at 8.5 points per game. Just before the halfway point, Stock is on pace to set easily single-season career highs in scoring, steals, assists, and rebounds. Redshirt sophomore Jenna Siebert is also breaking out. After 5.4 points per game in her first season of action, Siebert is now second on the team in scoring with 12.1 points per game. She's also buried 23 three-pointers at a 33.8-percent clip while pulling down 4.8 rebounds per game. If her scoring average keeps up, the Parker, Colo., native will nearly be on pace for 1,000 points in her career.
 
DOMINANT IN DECEMBER
For a third straight season, Mines' women went undefeated in the month of December. The Orediggers are now 17-0 in the month of December since 2021. In its latest undefeated December, Mines' average margin of victory was just over eight points with four of the six wins coming on the road. The Orediggers averaged 75 points per game while holding their opposition to 67 points per game. Fans who follow the program will not be shocked to hear that Ashley Steffeck was the top individual for Mines in the December of 2023. She averaged 18.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.1 steals, and 3.0 assists compared to 1.5 turnovers across the six games.
 
ACTIVE CAREER LEADER
Ashley Steffeck's 370 career steals are the most of any active player in NCAA basketball. That includes men and women across all three divisions. She leads the top active men's player, Jalen House out of New Mexico, by 115. The next closest women's player, Haley Meinel of Jefferson, trails Steffeck by 25. The Fort Collins native is also #2 among all active NCAA Division II women's players in steals per game at 3.06. She needs 30 more swipes to move into NCAA Division II's top-25, all-time steals leaders. It should be noted that steals were not considered an official NCAA Division II category until the 1992-93 season.
 
COLORADO CHRISTIAN RECAP
Mines' last action was on Saturday at home against Colorado Christian. The Orediggers walked away with an 80-73 victory to extend their win streak to 10 games (referenced multiple times already). Colorado Christian built an eight-point lead in the first quarter and held it at 20-12 after 10 minutes of play. However, Mines exploded for 30 points in the second quarter to take the lead and never looked back. Ashley Steffeck was elite with 15 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, and five steals. Shelby Nichols, Jenna Siebert, and Emma Sixta all scored in double digits as well. Also notable was CCU's Maggie Hutka who led all players with 31 points.
 
SCOUTING CSU PUEBLO
Colorado State University Pueblo has been a perennial contender in the RMAC for nearly two decades, or more. However, at 8-7 (3-4 RMAC) the ThunderWolves' 2023-24 season has been a rollercoaster through 15 games. The Pack started the year 1-3 with one win and two losses to nationally-ranked programs. They opened conference play with a 10-point win against Chadron State before dropping three straight to Colorado Christian, Adams State, and Fort Lewis. Last weekend, CSU Pueblo split its road trip with a 74-59 loss at Colorado Mesa followed by a 67-58 win at Westminster. As a team, the ThunderWolves are scoring 65.7 per game while giving up 63.9. Individually, Alisha Little (née Alisha Davis), leads all of NCAA Division II in blocks (56) and double-doubles (10). After a year off, she is averaging 18.5 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks per game. Leilani Love, Autumn Watts, and Tomia Johnson are also players to watch. Love is second on the team with 10.3 points per game. Watts  touts 9.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks each night. Head Coach Tommie Johnson's daughter dishes out 4.2 assists and racks up 2.3 steals while scoring 5.7 points per game. It is worth noting that this season CSU Pueblo is 6-1 at home while sitting 2-6 when playing away from Massari Arena.
 
OREDIGGERS AGAINST THE THUNDERWOLVES
Historically, CSU Pueblo has been a problem for Colorado School of Mines. The ThunderWolves lead the all-time series by a 38-27 margin. However, in recent history, the Orediggers have found success against The Pack. Mines is 8-2 in its last 10 meetings with CSU Pueblo. Last season, the two teams only played once. The result was a 94-58 Mines victory in Golden. Shelby Nichols scored 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds, Ashley Steffeck poured in 15 points, and Josephine Howery dished out five assists. In 2021-22, the Orediggers and ThunderWolves faced off three times. Mines lost in Pueblo, 70-59, won in Golden, 53-40, and then lost to The Pack in the RMAC Tournament Semifinals at Lockridge Arena by a score of 61-54. The Orediggers have played in Pueblo, Colo., just five times since 2016 and hold a record of 3-2 during that span.
 
SCOUTING NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS
After going 14-14 in 2022-23, the Cowgirls have started 2023-24 with a 4-10 (3-5 RMAC) mark. They'll host MSU Denver on Friday before welcoming Mines to the John A. Wilson Complex on Saturday. Last weekend, NMHU snapped a five game skid with a 59-49 win at Westminster. However, a 70-34 loss at Colorado mesa on Saturday make the Cowgirls 1-6 in their last seven outings. New Mexico Highlands' three other wins all came at home against Northern New Mexico, Colorado Christian, and Chadron State. Overall, the Cowgirls are averaging 54.3 points per game compared to 69 by the opposition for a negative scoring margin of 14.7. Jordyn Lewis, a graduate transfer from Fort Lewis leads the team in scoring with 11.3 points per game. Maiah Rivas provides 8.1 points, 2.6 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.7 steals for NMHU. Sana'a Baker is also notable due to 8.0 points, 1.6 blocks, and 4.2 board each night.
 
OREDIGGERS AGAINST THE COWGIRLS
Last season, Colorado School of Mines tied the all-time series at 34-34 thanks to a 79-48 win in Golden. It marked the Orediggers' 13th straight victory over the Cowgirls as Ashley Steffeck scored 12 points with four rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal. All 13 victories in the win streak have come by double digits with an average margin of 27 points per game. Mines hasn't lost to NMHU since Dec. 6, 2014. It was a 75-68 setback in Las Vegas, N.M. just over nine years ago. The Orediggers scored the most points in a game in program history on Jan. 26, 2022, as they defeated the Cowgirls, 108-29, at Lockridge Arena. That win also marked the largest margin of victory in program history and included 11 steals, six assists, six points, and three rebounds from Ashley Steffeck. Quincey Baum exploded for 16 points and added six rebounds, two assists and two steals. Additionally, Shelby Nichols recorded nine points, six rebounds, three assists, and one block while Josephine Howery scored 12 points with four rebounds, two steals, and two assists.
 
200 WINS
Mines' win against St. Edward's on opening weekend gave Mines Head Coach Brittany Simpson the 200th win of her career. It makes Simpson the only head coach in program history to reach the milestone. By default, it also makes her the fastest to 200 career wins in the history of Mines women's basketball. The milestone added to Simpson's impressive resume which saw her become the winningest coach in the history of Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball on Dec. 4, 2020, in a 68-53 win over South Dakota Mines inside Lockridge Arena. Simpson is now in her 12th season as skipper of the Orediggers.
 
BOSS LADY
Head Coach Brittany Simpson is in her 12th season leading the Mines women's basketball program. During her decade tenure, she has become the winningest coach in program history both in terms of total wins and win percentage at 210-115 (64.6). Simpson is responsible for all three of the program's RMAC titles including regular-season championships in 2015-16, 2020-21, and 2021-22. She has also led the Orediggers in four of their five trips to the NCAA tournament. Simpson is a three-time RMAC Coach of the Year who has guided 34 All-RMAC selections including 14 first-teamers, 11 second-teamers, one third-team selection and eight honorable mention performers. She has also coached one RMAC Player of the Year, two RMAC Defensive Players of the Year, and two RMAC Freshman of the Year award winners. Eight of Mines' 13 1,000-point scorers have surpassed the milestone under Simpson's watch. Last season, Ashley Steffeck became the first all-American in program history after earning Honorable Mention All-America status from the Women's Basketball Coaches' Association (WBCA).
 
UP NEXT
Mines is back at home Jan. 19-20 for games against Regis and UCCS. The Orediggers tip off against the Rangers on Friday at 5:30 p.m. and face the Mountain Lions on Saturday at 5 p.m. Both contests are part of alumni weekend. Tickets can be purchased online at www.minesathletics.com/tickets or at the door. Free live stats and video will also be offered 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.