Mines (20-6, 15-5 RMAC) vs. Adams State (21-7, 16-4 RMAC) – Friday, 5:30 p.m. – Lockridge Arena [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
Mines (20-6, 15-5 RMAC) vs. Fort Lewis (12-14, 9-11 RMAC) – Saturday, 5 p.m. – Lockridge Arena [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]

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REGULAR SEASON FINALE
It's the last weekend of the 2023-24 regular season, and the Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team is set to host Adams State and Fort Lewis at Lockridge Arena. The weekend starts on Friday at 5:30 p.m. against ASU with Senior Night festivities coming at halftime of the men's game. Saturday brings the true finale with the Orediggers tipping off against Fort Lewis at 5 p.m. Not only is it a weekend for celebrating the seniors, but postseason seeding is on the line and Mines will need at least one win and a little help to host in the first round of the RMAC tournament. At the end of the day, two wins would be better – duh.
 
GET YOUR TICKETS
Fans are encouraged to purchase digital tickets or print tickets at home ahead of this weekend's 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
Fans who aren't able to make it to Lockridge ARena can still catch all the action. Live streaming of each contest 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.
 
SENIOR NIGHT
Traditionally, Mines women's basketball has celebrated Senior Night during the final home games of the regular season. However, this year, the Orediggers are doing things a little different. The women will recognize Shelby Nichols, Ashley Steffeck, and Loralee Stock during halftime of the men's game on Friday night – tentatively between 8:15-8:45 p.m. Additionally, Mines' men will celebrate their seniors prior to their tipoff against the Grizzlies – right around 7:30 p.m.
 
REGIONAL RANKINGS
The first public release of the NCAA South Central Regional rankings came out last week and featured teams under consideration listed in alphabetical order. This week, the second edition of the rankings came out in numerical (ranked) order and the Orediggers debuted at #4. That puts Mines in the middle of the pack for a berth in the 2024 NCAA tournament. The rest of the rankings feature Texas Woman's at #1 followed by #2 Colorado Mesa, #3 Regis, #5 UT Tyler, #6 UT Permian Basin, #7 Lubbock Christian, #8 Adams State, #9 UCCS, and #10 Colorado Christian. There will be two more versions of the regional rankings. The next release will be Wednesday, March 6, right after the start of the 2024 RMAC Women's Basketball Tournament. The final NCAA South Central Regional rankings will be unveiled on Sunday, March 10, and determine which teams advance to the NCAA postseason. The top eight teams in the South Central Region on March 10 will all travel to the #1 seed and play a single-elimination bracket from March 15-18.
 
HERE'S THE (RMAC) DEAL
As of Thursday, Feb. 29, two games separated the top five teams in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference standings. Colorado Mesa (17-4) sits alone at #1 with one game to play. Regis, Adams State, and UCCS are tied for #2 at 16-4. They, like Mines, all have two games remaining. The Orediggers are #5 thanks to a 15-5 mark. Black Hills State and Colorado Christian are tied for #6 at 12-8. CSU Pueblo (11-9) is #8 and Fort Lewis (9-11) is #9. MSU Denver (7-13), South Dakota Mines (6-14), New Mexico Highlands (5-15), Chadron State (4-16), Western Colorado (4-16), and Westminster (1-20) have all been eliminated from postseason play. After the final buzzer on Saturday, the top eight teams in the RMAC standings will advance to the 2024 RMAC Women's Basketball Tournament.
 
WHAT IT MEANS
Without getting too deep in the weeds, here are the most likely scenarios for seeding. Colorado Mesa is in the drivers' seat to win the regular season title, the #1 seed in the tournament, and hosting rights for the semifinals and final. They swept Regis in the regular season to hold the tiebreaker, and play 4-16 Western Colorado in their finale. Regis is likely the #2 seed and could be co-champions. The Rangers swept Adams State, UCCS, and Mines in the regular season. They host New Mexico Highlands on Friday and CSU Pueblo on Saturday. With that in mind, Adams State, UCCS, and Mines all have a shot at #3 or #4 which means they would host the quarterfinal round of the tournament. With tiebreakers in play, the Orediggers essentially need to go 2-0 and have UCCS lose at least one of its last two games. Among numerous other scenarios, Mines and UCCS could go 2-0 and Adams State could go 0-2 to make the Orediggers #3, the Mountain Lions #4, and Adams State #5. If Mines goes 1-1, it will be extremely difficult to host in the first round of the postseason.
 
TODAY'S RMAC BRACKET
If the season prior to this weekend's games, the bracket for the conference tournament would go as follows. The quarterfinals on Tuesday, March 5, would have Colorado Mesa host CSU Pueblo, Regis host Black Hills State, Adams State host Colorado Christian, and UCCS hosting Mines. The winners of those four games would meet in the semifinals on Friday, March 8, at the highest remaining seed with Colorado Mesa being #1, Regis #2, UCCS #3, and Adams State #4.
 
MEET THE SENIORS
As stated above, Mines will celebrate its seniors on Friday night during halftime of the men's game. Below are brief profiles for each "guest" of honor.
 
SHELBY NICHOLS
Nichols arrived at Mines in the fall of 2019 by way of Golden, Colo., and Ralston Valley High School. Over the last five seasons, the hometown lady has totaled 458 points, 375 rebounds, 83 assists, 58 steals, and 14 blocks all while shooting 40 percent from the floor. She put together her best games in her final season including a 19-point outburst at South Dakota Mines earlier this season, and 11 rebounds against Adams State in early February. She also handed out four assists at CSU Pueblo in January and notched four steals against UCCS a week later. Nichols earned RMAC Academic Honor Roll status three times so far and brought home the D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award last season. Furthermore, the Golden, Colo., native already has a degree from Mines in chemical engineering and is currently pursuing a master's degree in engineering & technology management.
 
ASHLEY STEFFECK
Steffeck came to Golden in the fall of 2019 out of Fort Collins, Colo., and Fossil Ridge High School. Prior to this weekend's games, her career numbers include 1,625 points, 730 rebounds, 410 steals, 392 assists, 498 made field goals, 202 made three-pointers, and 427 made free throws. Steffeck's name currently appears 27 times in the program record book with five listings at #1, and more additions to come. The graduate student became the program's first all-American last season with WBCA Honorable Mention All-America distinction and has earned All-RMAC status in three straight seasons. Steffeck was also named RMAC Defensive Player of the Year after the 2021-22 season in which she led the nation in total steals and steals per game. Among numerous other accolades, the Fort Collins, Colo., native has brought home 12 weekly awards from the RMAC. She earned a bachelor's degree from Mines last spring in metallurgical & materials engineering. She's currently pursuing an advanced degree in engineering & technology management.
 
LORALEE STOCK
Stock made the move from Sturgis, S.D., to Golden, Colo., in the fall of 2019 after graduating from Sturgis Brown High School. Across five seasons, the guard has stacked up 619 points, 202 rebounds, 111 assists, 87 steals, and 13 blocks while shooting 48 percent from the floor in 130 games. Some of the top performances in her career include 17 points at Chadron State last weekend, seven rebounds at Fort Lewis in early February, five steals at Western Colorado in December and two blocks in three straight games. Stock will graduate from Mines with a degree in civil engineering.
 
RECORDS SHALL FALL
So far this season, Ashley Steffeck has taken down two program records and has three more in her sights. Last weekend, Steffeck broke Mines' single-season and career records for made free throws. She moved up to 174 made free throws this season and dropped Denali Pinto to #2. The Fort Collins, Colo., natives production at the charity stripe pushed her to 427 made free throws in her career which also took Pinto (2018-22) off the top of the list. With two games remaining the regular season and at least one postseason game guaranteed, Steffeck is 28 points shy of the Orediggers' all-time scoring record and 62 points short of the program's single-season scoring record. She needs just six more assists to break Laura Tyree's all-time mark for dimes.
 
20-WIN SEASON
With last Saturday's victory at Chadron State, Mines' women reached 20 wins for a third straight season. It marks the most successful stretch in program history. Prior to the 2021-22 campaign when the Orediggers posted a 25-6 mark, the program had only produced two 20-win campaigns – ever. The first 20-win season came in 2009-10. The second campaign with 20 wins was 2015-16 when Mines won its first RMAC title.
 
ROAD TRIP RECAP
Mines was on the road for its last three games. Most recently, the Orediggers split its trip to Colorado Christian and Chadron State. Last Friday saw Mines fall at CCU by a score of 71-68 despite 23 points from Ashley Steffeck. The Orediggers bounced back on Saturday in Nebraska where they downed CSC, 83-72. Steffeck exploded for 33 points against the Eagles. Loralee Stock notched a career-high 17 points as well. Josephine Howery tallied seven points, seven assists, six steals, and five rebounds.
 
SCOUTING ADAMS STATE
Adams State comes to Golden, Colo., as one of the hottest teams in the RMAC thanks to an active, seven-game win streak. The Grizzlies haven't lost a game since falling at home against MSU Denver in overtime on Friday, Feb. 2. Last weekend, ASU downed South Dakota Mines by a score of 86-61 and edged Black Hills State, 67-64. The Grizzlies are 10-3 at home and 10-4 on the road in 2023-24. As a team, Adams State ranks #4 in the nation in turnover margin, #5 in steals per game, #5 in three-point percentage, and #7 in turnovers forced per game. Their offense ranks #1 in the RMAC thanks to 74.9 points per game. Individually, Harmanie Dominguez is #3 in the nation in made three-pointers and three-pointers per game while sitting #8 in three-point percentage. Angelline Nageak ranks #10 in the nation in total steals and steals per game. Dominguez is tops on the team in scoring thanks to 18.2 points per night. Riahana Davis and Kiiyani Anitielu each average 12.1 points per game. Davis is also tops on the team in rebounding thanks to 4.8 boards per game Nageak's 4.3 assists and 3.2 steals per game are #1 on the squad.
 
OREDIGGERS AGAINST THE GRIZZLIES
Mines and Adams State met in Alamosa, Colo., on Feb. 3 of this year. The Grizzlies earned a 69-68 victory for their second straight win against the Orediggers. Ashley Steffeck notched 26 points and nine rebounds while Shelby Nichols pulled down 11 boards. That contest moved ASU to 36-29 in the all-time series. However, Mines is 8-2 in its last 10 meetings with the Grizzlies. Last year, the Orediggers earned an 80-69 win in Golden thanks to Steffeck who scored 29 points with five assists, four steals, and one block. Adams State defended its home court later in the year with a 64-60 decision. Mines hasn't lost to ASU in Golden since 2011.
 
SCOUTING FORT LEWIS
Fort Lewis started its 2023-24 conference slate with a 5-1 record. However, the Skyhawks have lost six of their last seven contests including both games last weekend. On Friday, FLC dropped an 87-53 decision to Black Hills State before falling to South Dakota Mines, 73-60, on Saturday. Fort Lewis is now fighting for its postseason life, needing two wins and a little help to make the RMAC tournament. The Skyhawks do rank #3 in the country in made free throws per game, #11 in free-throw attempts per game, and #13 in steals per game. They average 65 points per game and give up 66 each night. Individually, Lanae Billy and Kelsey Sorenson are the main players to watch. Billy is top-10 in the nation in steals and averages 15.7 points, 3.2 steals, 2.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game with 68 made three-pointers this season. Sorenson puts up 12.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 1.0 assists each outing. Sydney Bevington averages 8.7 rebounds per game, but hasn't played since Dec. 2.
 
OREDIGGERS AGAINST THE SKYHAWKS
Mines and Fort Lewis played in Durango earlier this season on Feb. 2. The result was an 81-62 win for the visitors. Ashley Steffeck scored 23 points and dished out eight assists while Jessica Rios poured in 14 points. Loralee Stock also added eight points, seven rebounds, two blocks, two assists, and one steal as the Orediggers improved to 37-26 in the all-time series with FLC. The victory also gave Mines its seventh straight win against Fort Lewis. The last time the Skyhawks defeated the Orediggers was on Jan. 11, 2020, in Golden, Colo., by a score of 64-55. Six of Mines' last seven wins over FLC have come by double digits. The only single-digit margin in the streak was a 78-75 showdown last season on Senior Night in Durango, Colo.
 
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 218-120 (64.4). 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 has clinched a spot in the 2024 RMAC Women's Basketball Tournament and will play a quarterfinal game on Tuesday, March 5. However, the location and opponent will not be known until Saturday evening when the final RMAC standings are established and the tournament bracket is announced. All postseason information will be announced at www.minesathletics.com and on social media.
 
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.