DENTON, Texas – An upset bid wasn't in the cards for the eighth-seeded Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team which battled top-seeded Texas Woman's on Friday in an 81-72 loss during the first round of the NCAA tournament.
 
The Orediggers' season came to a close despite 23 points off the hand of Jenna Siebert and 14 more from Ashley Steffeck. Siebert's trio of three-pointers led all players. Steffeck was tops on the team with seven rebounds. She also had two assists. Also notable were three steals by Josephine Howery and three assists from Quincey Baum. Audrey Beaty and Baum added a block apiece, and Shelby Nichols tallied eight points as well.
 
Mines (21-9) had more three-pointers and more field goals than Texas Woman's (30-4). However, the Pioneers converted 36 of their 43 free-throw opportunities while taking advantage of the Orediggers' physical game plan. Mines' defensive approach was relatively successful as the underdogs forced TWU to commit 20 turnovers. That turned into 22 Oredigger points off turnovers. Mines also found 38 points off the bench, but the Pioneers won on the glass, 41-31, and shot over 40 percent from the floor to clinch the win.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Stifling defense and efficiency on offense gave Mines the advantage in the opening quarter. Eleven points from Siebert were fueled by 3-of-3 shooting from long range, and the Oredigger defense forced Texas Woman's into six turnovers. After 10 minutes of play, Mines touted a 23-26 lead on the top-seeded Pioneers. However, TWU came to life in the second and rallied back with an 8-2 run to start the period. Suni Davis came off the bench and kept the Orediggers in the game with 2-for-2 shooting from behind the arc. A three-pointer for Texas Woman's in the final seconds gave the home team a 38-37 advantage going into halftime.
 
The second half of Friday's first-round game was a tale of two quarters. Mines outscored TWU by a 22-14 margin in the third period. Siebert had six of those points, and Steffeck scored five while pulling down three rebounds. But the Pioneers owned the final 10 minutes. They went 6-of-8 from the floor in the final frame. That offset Rios' five points including a three-pointer in the final minute. Sixteen free throws closed out the win for TWU as the Orediggers converted just four of nine opportunities at the charity stripe.
 
NOTABLES
- Friday marked Mines' fourth straight trip to the NCAA tournament and the sixth in program history.
- Head Coach Brittany Simpson accounts for five of the Orediggers' six trips to the national postseason.
- Steffeck broke Mines' single-season scoring record. She did it with an and-one opportunity in the third quarter.
- Steffeck closes her collegiate career as the Orediggers' all-time leader in points, assists, steals, and made free throws. She also owns the single-season records in scoring, steals, and made free throws.
- In five seasons at Mines, Steffeck scored 1,691 points while adding 756 rebounds, 417 steals, and 407 assists. She also made 451 free throws and 515 field goals including 210 three-pointers.
- Nichols closed her collegiate career touting 497 points, 398 rebounds, 87 assists, 61 steals, and 14 blocks. She also drained 19 three-pointers.
- Loralee Stock finished her time at Mines boasting 658 points, 214 rebounds, 117 assists, 89 steals, and 16 blocks. She added 12 three-pointers and 170 made free throws to her resume as well.
- Siebert's trio of three-pointers put her onto the Orediggers' all-time, single-season list with 43 in 2023-24.
- Steffeck made additional moves in Mines' record book on Friday, surging into a tie for #3 in single-season three-pointers and #7 in single-season assists.
- Mines Head Coach Brittany Simpson closes her 12th season at the helm for the Orediggers with an overall record of 219-123.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines' 2023-24 season has come to an end. The Orediggers signees for 2024-25 along with any additional postseason awards 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.