GOLDEN, Colo. – Jenna Siebert delivered for the #12/13-ranked Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team on Tuesday night, hitting the eventual game-winning shot in a 65-62 victory against MSU Denver at Lockridge Arena.
 
Not only did Siebert drain a floater in the lane to put Mines ahead for good, she blocked the Roadrunners' own game-winning attempt on the other end of the court. Her final line featured 10 points, two rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block. Ashley Steffeck also came up big for the Orediggers with a 23-point, 12-rebound double-double. Steffeck added five steals and four assists as well. On defense, Audrey Beaty stacked up four blocks. Her six rebounds featured three on the offensive glass and three more on defense. Sophomore Roadrunner Mikylah Espinosa led all players with 34 points.
 
Mines (16-2, 11- RMAC) earned the win thanks to 23 made free throws, shooting 74 percent as a team at the charity stripe. Those points offset a 27-percent mark from three-point range and a 34-percent clip from the field. MSU Denver (3-13, 2-9 RMAC) posted a 42-37 rebounding win and forced the Orediggers to commit 15 turnovers. The Roadrunners were also more efficient from the floor, but only made 11-of-18 free-throw attempts. Mines benefited from 23 points off its bench as well. The win keeps the Orediggers in sole possession of first place in the RMAC standings.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Offense came at a premium in the first two quarters with both teams bringing the heat on defense. Neither team touched 40-percent shooting in the opening period, but Steffeck scored eight points to keep Mines even at 17 after 10 minutes of action. The defensive intensity in the second quarter kept both teams under 30-percent from the field, but also resulted in 12 free-throw attempts for the Orediggers. Those trips to the charity stripe helped fuel an 8-0 run on the way to a 34-28, halftime lead for Mines. There were just seven made field goals on 28 combined attempts in the second frame.
 
After the Orediggers exited the locker room, they went on an 8-0 run and pushed their lead to 46-37 during the third period. Steffeck and Emma Sixta each added six more points to their respective totals, and the game went into the final 10 minutes with Mines touting a modest, 48-42 advantage. It was then that MSU Denver caught fire. The Roadrunners were 8-of-16 from the floor in the fourth quarter including a 2-for-3 mark from long range. MSU Denver's production helped produce an 8-0 run and the visitor's first lead since early in the second quarter.
 
When the Roadrunners took a 62-61 lead with 1:38 to play, Mines didn't blink. The Orediggers missed one shot, forced a turnover, and used three total timeouts to keep the one-point margin and eventually work an inbounds play under their own basket. MSU Denver nearly got a five-second call, but Rios found Siebert just outside the paint and she drained a turnaround-floater to give the home team a 63-62 lead. As mentioned above, she came down on defense and blocked Espinosa's potential game-winning layup. The bonanza that followed yielded no points for the Roadrunners and two made free throws for Mines before the final buzzer.
 
NOTABLES
- Mines improved to 33-55 in the all-time series against MSU Denver, and extended its win streak over the Roadrunners to five.
- The Orediggers haven't lost to the Roadrunners in Golden since 2017.
- Mines and MSU Denver also played earlier this season and the result was a 65-64 win for the Orediggers.
- Three of the last four meetings between Mines and MSU Denver have been decided by a total of five points.
- Steffeck's double-double was the 11th of her career and third of the season. She also moved to #4 on Mines' all-time three-pointers list, surpassing Cassidy Budge's 182 from 2015-19.
- Quincey Baum reached 100 rebounds for her career during Tuesday's victory.
- Rios surpassed 100 collegiate assists. That number includes 27 at NCAA Division I Sacramento State and 74 more at Mines.
- Head Coach Brittany Simpson is 214-116 in her 12th season leading Mines.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines hosts Western Colorado on Friday at 5:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online or at the door. Live stats and free video on the RMAC Network will also be linked 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.­­­