Mines (2-7, 0-2 RMAC) vs. Colorado Mesa (5-3, 1-2 RMAC) – Saturday, 1 p.m. – Lockridge Arena [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
Mines (2-7, 0-2 RMAC) vs. Westminster (1-7, 0-2 RMAC) – Monday, 1 p.m. – Lockridge Arena [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]

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COMFORTS OF HOME
The Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team played seven of its first nine games away from Lockridge Arena. This weekend, the Orediggers return to the comforts of home and they're bring Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action with them. Saturday features a 1 p.m. showdown with Colorado Mesa. Monday brings Westminster to Golden for another 1 p.m. tipoff. Both days are doubleheader specials with Mines' men playing the same opponents at 3 p.m. or 20 minutes after the conclusion of the women's game.
 
TRAFFIC WARNING – SATURDAY ONLY
Fans who plan to come to Saturday's games should be aware that there will be closures on Washington Avenue in Golden running from late morning into early afternoon. In order to avoid the closures, fans are encourage to access campus and Lockridge Arena by using 19th street and entering the area from the west.
 
GET YOUR TICKETS
Fans are encouraged to purchase digital tickets or print tickets at home ahead of the upcoming games by going to www.minesathletics.com/tickets. This will expedite the entry process to Lockridge Arena. Ticket prices are $10 for adults and $5 for children, seniors, and military members. Mines faculty, staff, and students get in free with their Blaster Card.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
Free live video of all Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference regular-season games will be offered on the RMAC Network. Conference tournament games will be pay-per-view come March. All of Mines' RMAC games, home and away, will also include free live stats as linked above, at www.minesathletics.com, and on social media.
 
LAST WEEK REWIND
Mines opened RMAC play last week with a trip to Adams State and then down to New Mexico Highlands. Thursday saw the Orediggers drop a 75-63 contest to the Grizzlies. Jenna Siebert and Josephine Howery combined to score 46 points, and Howery pulled down seven rebounds. On Saturday, Mines rallied from a 13-point deficit to force overtime at NMHU. However, the visitors eventually fell in the extra period by a score of 74-73. Siebert scored 26 more points and added six assists with six rebounds. Audrey Beaty and Howery chipped in 15 points apiece. Overall, Siebert averaged 26 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game for the road trip. Howery turned in averages of 17.5 points and 7.5 rebounds.
 
HOT LIKE FIRE
Jenna Siebert has scored at least 26 points in three of her last four outings, putting her scoring average at 23 points per game during the span. One of those performances was a 34-point outburst against then-#9 Minnesota State on Nov. 16. That explosion tied the redshirt junior for fifth in the program record book for points in a game. She matched Courtney Martin's output at Chadron State from the 2014-15 season. Overall, Siebert is the 16th Oredigger to ever score 30 or more points in a single game. Her performance marked the 26th time that 30 or more points have been scored by a Mines player in a single game. The only Orediggers with more points than Siebert in a single night are Taylor Helbig, Denali Pinto, Laura Marshall, and Ashley Steffeck.
 
SCOUTING COLORADO MESA
Colorado Mesa entered the season nationally ranked and the favorite to win the RMAC title. The Mavericks won four of their first five games to start the 2024-25 campaign, but hit some turbulence as of late. Last weekend, CMU dropped a 65-56 contest at home against UCCS before downing Colorado Christian by a score of 78-55. Most recently, on Thursday, the Mavericks suffered a narrow, 63-61 loss at Regis. That being said, CMU still ranks #2 in the nation in free-throw percentage, #3 in turnovers per game, and #6 in assist-to-turnover ratio. Individually, defending conference player of the year Olivia Reed is Mesa's leading scorer and rebounder. She's averaging 18.1 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. Fellow all-conference player Kylie Kravig coordinates everything to the tune of 6.6 assists per game. Kravig also puts up 12.3 points, grabs 3.3 rebounds, and nabs 1.5 steals per game. Defending RMAC Freshman of the Year Mason Rowland played three games before going down with an injury. Reed and Kravig are highly-ranked in numerous statistical categories.
 
OREDIGGERS AGAINST THE MAVERICKS
Colorado Mesa owns a 62-21 advantage in the all-time series with Mines. However, the last half decade has brought a renewed spark to the rivalry between the Orediggers and Mavericks. Mines is 7-3 in its last 10 meetings with CMU. However, the last six meetings have been split at 3-3. In two showdowns last season, each team protected its home court. The faceoff in Golden on Dec. 1, 2023, turned into a double-overtime thriller which Mines won by a score of 89-85. Reed had 30 points and 17 rebounds for the Mavericks. But Ashley Steffeck went off for 25 points, seven rebounds, seven steals, six assists and two blocks. Additionally, Jenna Siebert and Emma Sixta combined for 31 points. Also notable in the contest was 13 points and 12 assists by CMU's Kylie Kravig. The later meeting in Grand Junction saw Colorado Mesa run away with a 74-47 win. Nine of the last 12 regular-season conference titles have gone, at least in part, to either Mines or Mesa.
 
SCOUTING WESTMINSTER
Westminster enters year two of its rebuild under second-year head coach Asami Morita. The Griffins are 1-7 overall and started RMAC play 0-2. They play MSU Denver on Saturday afternoon before coming to Golden on Monday. Their lone win of the season came at home against Fort Lewis by a 61-58 margin. Three exhibitions against NCAA Division I programs in Utah State, BYU, and Idaho State are also listed on Westminster's schedule. Last weekend, WU opened RMAC play by hosting CSU Pueblo and UCCS. The Griffins just missed an upset of the ThunderWolves, 59-58, on Thursday. Saturday brought a double-digit loss to the Mountain Lions. Individual leaders for Westminster are Teuila Nawahine, Maunayia Harrigfeld, and Abby Conlee. Nawahine boasts game averages of 13.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.1 steals. Notable numbers for Harrigfeld include 8.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game. Conlee averages 10 points per game while shooting 40 percent from three-point range and 50 percent from the field.
 
OREDIGGERS AGAINST THE GRIFFINS
Mines is 9-5 in the all-time series against Westminster thanks to an active streak of four wins. However, through the first seven games of the rivalry, the Griffins held a 4-3 advantage with neither team putting together any sort of win streak. Then, from January of 2020 through last season, the Orediggers won six of seven and each of the last four. The lone meeting between Mines and WU in 2023-24 was a 69-60 victory for the Orediggers in Golden. It was a grind of a win after the double-overtime showdown with Colorado Mesa the night before. Ashley Steffeck scored 12 points and Jenna Siebert tallied 11. Steffeck also managed five assists and five steals. The last time Westminster beat Mines was Feb. 19, 2021, in Golden. The final score was 67-62.
 
DISHING DIMES
Peyton Freiermuth put her name in the program record book against defending national champion Minnesota State. With 11 assists, she became the sixth Oredigger to ever dish out double-digit dimes in a single game. Freiermuth's performance tied her with Laura Tyree for third on Mines' all-time list. The only Orediggers with more assists than Freiermuth in a single game are Liz Holter and Debbie Gangloff. Additionally, Freiermuth is tied for #1 in the RMAC in single-game assists so far this season. She's also tied for #6 in NCAA Division II in the same category.
 
SISTER-SISTER
The Orediggers' 2024-25 roster features sisters Michaela Lee and Olivia Lee. Michaela is in her second season at Mines. As a true freshman, she came off the bench and scored six points, grabbed eight rebounds, blocked four shots, and grabbed two steals in just 28 total minutes of action. Olivia is in her first, and only, season as an Oredigger. She started her collegiate career at Western New Mexico before transferring to Cal State San Bernardino after two seasons. The elder Lee completed her bachelor's degree at CSUSB and came to Mines to pursue a master's degree and play her final season of collegiate basketball. Prior to becoming an Oredigger, Olivia accumulated 462 points, 391 rebounds, 61 blocks, 35 assists, and 21 steals across 81 games.
 
MEET TAYLOR HARRIS
The Mines coaching staff added a fresh face last spring with Taylor Harris taking over as assistant coach for the Orediggers. Harris, a 14-year veteran coach, came to the Orediggers after leading Fort Lewis' women's squad for three seasons. Other stops for the Colorado native include Miles Community College (Mont.), and 10 years of service at fellow RMAC programs in Regis and MSU Denver. Fans can check out Harris' full biography HERE.
 
BOSS LADY
Head Coach Brittany Simpson is in her 13th season leading the Mines women's basketball program. During her decade-plus tenure, she has become the winningest coach in program history both in terms of total wins and win percentage at 221-130 (62.9). 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 five of their six trips to the NCAA tournament. Simpson is a three-time RMAC Coach of the Year who has guided 36 All-RMAC selections including 15 first-teamers, 11 second-teamers, one third-team selection and nine 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.
 
UP NEXT
The Orediggers will host a non-conference game against Angelo State on Friday, Dec. 20, at 1 p.m. in Lockridge Arena. It marks the last game of the calendar year as Mines heads into its holiday break. Free live video and stats will be available at www.minesathletics.com.
 
Fans can keep up with Mines women's basketball on "X" (formerly Twitter), Facebook, 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.