GOLDEN, Colo. – The Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team ground out an 81-76, overtime victory on Thursday night against Fort Lewis inside Lockridge Arena.
 
Jenna Siebert led four Orediggers who scored in double figures after pouring in 28 points on 9-of-18 shooting including a trio of three-pointers and seven free throws on 10 attempts. Emma Sixta also shot 50 percent from the floor and finished touting 15 points, five assists, four rebounds, three steals, and one block. Peyton Freiermuth's night featured a 4-for-8 effort from the floor and a perfect line at the charity stripe on the way to 13 points, three steals, three rebounds, and two assists. Audrey Beaty completed the double-digit quartet by shooting over 50 percent and turning in a game resume consisting of 12 points, seven rebounds, two blocks, two steals, and one assist. Josephine Howery was also notable with her nine points, three rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Fort Lewis' Livia Knapp led all players with 30 points.
 
The victory provided Mines (8-11, 6-5 RMAC) its third straight win. Fort Lewis (5-14, 2-9 RMAC) dropped its fifth straight. The Orediggers overcame a hot-shooting Skyhawks squad by forcing 22 turnovers and only committing 13 of their own. For the game, FLC converted 31 of its 58 attempts including 10 three-pointers. Mines eventually turned in a 45-percent shooting percentage with seven three-pointers – a line bolstered by 11 steals on defense. Furthermore, the home team outscored their guests in the paint, 40-28. Fort Lewis only missed one free throw in five chances. The Orediggers notched 16 free throws.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Thursday's showdown started with a flurry of offense, underscored by both teams making over half their shots through the first five minutes of action. However, at 10-10, Mines' offense stalled and Fort Lewis continued to flourish. By the end of the first quarter, the Skyhawks had built a 21-14 lead. They pushed that advantage to 28-18 at the 5:24 mark of the second period. Then, the Orediggers' offense came back alive. Siebert provided the spark and Sixta provided the fuel for a 12-2 explosion which eventually tied the game, 30-30, at halftime. Sixta accounted for seven of the 12 points and Siebert tallied the other five. At the break, Sixta and Siebert both boasted seven points and three rebounds apiece.
 
After three ties and two lead changes in the first half, the next two quarters and lone overtime yielded seven ties and eight more lead changes. Fort Lewis needed less than three minutes out of the break to rebuild a seven-point lead. But Mines battled back for a second time and retied the game, 43-43, at the 4:05 mark of the third quarter on a Sixta three-pointer. From that point on, neither team led by more than four points until FLC took a six-point advantage with 3:26 remaining in regulation. Siebert and Howery proceeded to cash-in from behind the arc, sandwiching a Siebert jumper to make it even at 70-70. Sixta and Knapp exchanged buckets in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter and missed free throws by the home time eventually sent the game into overtime. The extra period featured a total of three made field goals between the two teams. The Orediggers clinched their win at the free-throw line by going 7-for-8. The Skyhawks committed five turnovers compared to three by Mines, and Freiermuth grabbed the final steal to ice the game.
 
NOTABLES
- Mines narrowed the gap in the all-time series against Fort Lewis to 28-37.
- The Orediggers have taken nine straight games from the Skyhawks.
- Mines hasn't lost to FLC since Jan. 11, 2020.
- Freiermuth matched her career high in scoring and notched a new collegiate best in steals.
- Thursday marked the third time this season that four Orediggers have scored in double digits. It was also the second time Mines has notched at least 10 steals in a game.
- Jessica Rios has grabbed exactly 200 rebounds while wearing an Oredigger uniform.
- Sixta and Howery both moved over 200 points for the season.
- Oredigger Head Coach Brittany Simpson is now 228-134 in her 13th season at the helm.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines faces Adams State on Saturday at 1 p.m. inside Lockridge Arena. Free live stats and video on the RMAC Network will be offered for both games 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.