Mines (0-0) vs. #20 UT Tyler (0-0) – Friday, 3:30 p.m. – Billings, Mont. [Live Stats] [GNAC Network]
Mines (0-0) vs. Nebraska-Kearney (0-0) – Saturday, 3 p.m. – Billings, Mont. [Live Stats] [GNAC Network]
Mines (0-0) at MSU Billings (0-0) – Sunday, 7:30 p.m. – Billings, Mont. [Live Stats] [GNAC Network]

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D2CCA TIPOFF CLASSIC
A new season has arrived for the Colorado School of Mines women's basketball team. The Orediggers will start their 2025-26 campaign a bit earlier than past years against a loaded field at the D2CCA Tipoff Classic at the Trailhead hosted by Montana State University Billings. The early start comes on an exemption historically granted to teams by the NCAA every four years to start the season early and add extra games to their schedule. Mines' first three opponents include #20 UT Tyler, Nebraska-Kearney, and MSU Billings. Tipoff against the Patriots is Friday at 3:30 p.m. The Orediggers play the Lopers Saturday, also at 3:30 p.m. They close the road trip Sunday, facing the hosts at 7:30 p.m. It's worth mentioning that Mines' men are playing in the same event at the same venue.
 
FAN INFORMATION
All critical information for this weekend's D2CCA Tipoff Classic at the Trailhead can be found at the tournament central. All games will be played at Alterowitz Gym on the campus of MSU Billings. Tickets can be purchased online at a discounted price and at the door with cash only. Children ages 11 and under will be admitted free. Day passes for all ages are priced at $26. Three-day passes, which cover all games for the weekend, are priced at $38 for children ages 11-17 and seniors 65 and over, and $48 for adults.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
This weekend's games will be streamed on a pay-per-view basis on the GNAC Network. Single-game passes for each contest are available for purchase at $12.66 including taxes and fees. Links for video and stats for all games can be found on minesathletics.com.
 
ROSTER RUNDOWN
The Orediggers' 2025-26 roster includes 12 players. Six are returners from Mines' 2024-25 squad. There are also two true freshmen and four transfers. Despite a large percentage of fresh faces, Head Coach Brittany Simpson brings back her top-two scorers from last season and the two players with the most steals for the Orediggers in 2024-25.
 
THE VETERANS
Mines' returners include sophomores Lindsey Jones and Jade Leon, juniors Isa Hensley and Emma Sixta, and redshirt seniors Jenna Shandy (née Siebert) and Quincey Baum.  Shandy and Sixta were the Orediggers' leading scorers in 2024-25, averaging 19.5 points and 10.5 points per game, respectively. The duo of Sixta and Shandy also combined for 78 steals last year. Baum, in her sixth year with the program, sat out her initial redshirt-senior campaign with an injury. Jones, Leon, and Hensley all provided big minutes off the bench and should see an expanded role in 2025-26.
 
MEET THE FRESHMEN
Olivia Campbell and Sophia Baal are the two true freshmen for the Orediggers. Campbell played at Fruita Monument High School just west of Grand Junction, Colo. She averaged 15 points, five rebounds, four assists, and three steals per game, and was First-Team All-Conference four times and Honorable Mention All-State three times. Baal, a graduate of Cherry Creek High School, also played club basketball for Hardwood Elite and competed in flag football. In fact, Baal helped represent CCHS and the state of Colorado at the NFL's 2025 Pro Bowl Games in Orlando, Fla., as the Cherry Creek flag football squad competed in the first-ever NFL Flag High School Girls Showcase. She was named the MVP at the NFL event.
 
TRANSFER QUARTET
Mines Head Coach Brittany Simpson further bolstered her roster during the offseason with the addition of four transfers, as noted above. Liv Loveland, a Castle Rock, Colo., native, came back to Colorado after playing one season at NCAA Division I Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. She played in six games for the Cougars including her collegiate debut against Murray State. Madison Gage, a Legacy High School graduate, committed to the Orediggers following two seasons at Chaminade (DII) in Hawaii. Gage's time with the Swords included 155 points, 84 rebounds, 18 assists, 19 steals, and four blocks. She dropped 17 points on Evergreen State as a true freshman and decided to return to Colorado following a coaching change made by the Chaminade administration. Emily Thomas, another Colorado product, returned to her home state after two seasons at RMAC foe South Dakota Mines. Following an injury-shortened freshman season and a coaching change after, Thomas arrives in Golden touting 103 points, 127 rebounds, 25 steals, eight blocks, and 77 assists. Rounding out the quartet is Sofia Baldessari who graduated from Douglas County High School in Colorado before starting her post-prep career at College of Saint Benedict (DIII) in Minnesota. In 12 games as a true freshman, Baldessari collected 102 points, 77 rebounds, six assists, eight steals, and two blocks.
 
PRESEASON RECOGNITION
The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference released its coaches' preseason poll and Preseason All-RMAC teams last month. Mines was voted fifth in the preseason poll with defending champion Colorado Mesa sitting first. Between the Orediggers and the top were #2 UCCS, #3 Adams State, and #4 Western Colorado. After earning 2024-25 First-Team All-RMAC, Jenna Shandy gained recognition on the Preseason All-RMAC team as well.
 
JENNA SHANDY (NÉE SIEBERT)
Many fans know her as Jenna Siebert, but now they'll know her as Jenna Shandy. With one season of eligibility remaining, Shandy has made her mark as one of Mines' most prolific scorers – ever. To start, she's just two points shy of reaching 1,000 for her career. Last season, the Valor Christian High School graduate broke the program's single-game scoring record by dropping 40 points on Chadron State in just 28 minutes of action at Lockridge Arena. That performance was one of five featuring 30 points or more in single game – tied for first in program history with Denali Pinto and Ashley Steffec. Shandy's 547 points in 2024-25 are #3 in program history and her 19.5 points per game rank #2 for season scoring average in program history. Furthermore, the mechanical engineering major broke the Oredigger women's season record with 203 made field goals – a record that had stood since the 1985-86 season. Shandy is also tied for #8 and tied for #17 for three-point field goals made in a season. Those two seasons also have her ranked #8 for three-point field goals made in a career. Prior to her college finale, Shandy's career numbers include 998 points, 288 rebounds, 137 made three-pointers, 161 assists, 86 steals, and 15 blocks.
 
SIMPSON'S SEASON OPENERS
Since taking over in Golden at the start of the 2012-13 campaign, Head Coach Brittany Simpson has guided her team to an 8-5 record in season openers. That mark includes five straight wins dating back to the 2020-21 season. The Orediggers toppled MSU Denver to start that campaign. They defeated St. Mary's, 85-54, to open the 2021-22 slate. The 2022-23 premier featured an 86-45 win at St. Mary's. Mines downed the Rattlers again in 2023-24, 81-68, inside Lockridge Arena. The Orediggers handled St. Mary's in last year's season-opener as well by a score of 72-49 in Austin, Texas. Coach Simpson has only started a season at home twice since 2015.
 
LAST SEASON
In 2024-25, the Orediggers went 12-16 (10-10 RMAC). Despite the lackluster record, Mines did knock off then-#9 Minnesota State in Golden, 92-88, during non-conference play. The Orediggers closed the season winning four of their last six but just missed the conference tournament, tying for eighth in the RMAC standings. Jenna Shandy earned First-Team All-RMAC to round out the highlights for Mines.
 
SCOUTING UT TYLER
The University of Texas Tyler finished last season 25-5 overall while going 20-2 in Lone Star Conference play. It was one game and done for the Patriots in both the LSC tournament and the NCAA tournament. Even so, UTT enters the 2025-26 season ranked #20 in the national preseason poll. Additionally, the conference coaches picked UT Tyler to finish third in the LSC. The Patriots top returner is Polina Latysheva who was All-LSC last season. Also notable is the addition of NCAA Division I transfer Lilli Hakkarainen who comes to UT Tyler after a season at New Mexico.
 
OREDIGGERS AGAINST THE PATRIOTS
Mines and UT Tyler have faced off in women's basketball just once before. Part of the reason for so few meetings is the Patriots transition from NCAA Division III to Division II in the last decade. The lone showdown between the Orediggers and UTT was on March 10, 2023, in the first round of the NCAA tournament at Angelo State. The winner of the game was UT Tyler by a score of 73-63. Mines legend Ashley Steffeck led all players with 27 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as well with seven steals.
 
SCOUTING NEBRASKA-KEARNEY
The University of Nebraska at Kearney posted a 2025-26 record of 20-9 (13-6 MIAA). The Lopers qualified for their conference tournament but fell to Washburn in the quarterfinals. They just missed a bid to the NCAA tournament. Early last month, UNK's women were voted fifth in the MIAA's preseason coaches' poll. Leading scorer and rebounder Jillian Aschoff returns for the upcoming campaign after posting 12.0 points with 6.9 rebounds per game last year. Aschoff also recorded 49 steals and handed out 139 assists. The Lopers' third-ranked scorer from 2024-25 is also back. Bailee Sobczak averaged 9.3 points per game and shot 55 percent from the floor. A key addition for Nebraska-Kearney is sophomore Paige Horne who played her freshman year at NCAA Division I Omaha. She appeared in 14 games for the Mavericks, scoring a total of 15 points with 15 rebounds and four steals.
 
OREDIGGERS AGAINST THE LOPERS
Nebraska-Kearney used to be a member of the RMAC which accounts for 45 total meetings with Mines. The Lopers lead the all-time series 35-10. The Orediggers renewed the rivalry with UNK in non-conference fashion during the 2021-22 season. They played at Kearney on Nov. 20 and lost, 76-57. During the 2022-23 season, the Lopers came to Golden and earned a 59-47 win. Mines' last victory against UNK was Jan. 28, 2012 by a score of 91-77.
 
SCOUTING MSU BILLINGS
Montana State University Billings has been a perennial power in women's basketball. In the last half decade alone, the Yellowjackets tout 95 wins, four appearances in the GNAC championships and three bids to the NCAA tournament. Last season, MSU Billings went 25-8 (14-4 GNAC) but lost their first-round conference tournament game and first-round NCAA tournament game. Since then, the Yellowjackets have graduated a quartet of players which had combined for 4,486 career points, 2,384 rebounds, 1,204 steals, and over 500 games played. Kaitlin Grossman is the lone returning starter from last season. She averaged 6.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.0 steals per game. The GNAC coaches voted MSU Billings fourth in the preseason poll but are not appearing on the national preseason list.
 
OREDIGGERS AGAINST THE YELLOWJACKETS
Sunday will mark the ninth meeting between Mines and MSU Billings. The Yellowjackets hold a convincing, 7-1 lead in the all-time series. That includes an 85-54 win last season in Billings. However, the Orediggers earned their first-ever win against the Yellowjackets not so long ago. During the 2023-24 campaign, MSUB came to Golden ranked #10 in the country and Mines prevailed, 75-71. The hero in the game was arguably Quincey Baum who had seven big rebounds and 13 points. Mines and MSU Billings first met on Jan. 11, 1991 and they played four times over the next eight years. There was a near-decade hiatus before the Orediggers and Yellowjackets met again in 2007. The renewal was brief as the teams wouldn't play again until 2023. The end.
 
SCHEDULE SNAPSHOT
Mines' 2025-26 regular-season schedule features 31 games including 11 non-conference contests, a trip to Hawaii, 20 RMAC showdowns, and 15 games at Lockridge Arena. Ten of the games in Golden are part of the RMAC slate. There will also be one home game the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and two other home events just days after the calendar turns to 2026. Home opponents for the Orediggers include #3 Texas Woman's (Nov. 14), UT Dallas (Nov. 15), Rogers State (Nov. 25), Adams State (Dec. 4), New Mexico Highlands (Dec. 6), Nelson University (Jan. 2), Northern New Mexico (Jan. 3), Chadron State (Jan. 8), South Dakota Mines (Jan. 10), MSU Denver (Jan. 24), Western Colorado (Feb. 5), Westminster (Feb. 7), UCCS (Feb. 19), CSU Pueblo (Feb. 21), and Regis (Feb. 24). Four different opponents on Mines' schedule are ranked in the top-25 of the national preseason poll.
 
BOSS LADY
Head Coach Brittany Simpson enters her 14th 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 231-139 (62.4). 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 five of their six trips to the NCAA tournament. Simpson is a three-time RMAC Coach of the Year who has guided 37 All-RMAC selections including 16 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
After their trip to Billings, Mont., the Orediggers return home to host their side of the conference crossover. Mines plays its official home opener on Friday, Nov. 14, against #3 Texas Woman's at 5:30 p.m. The Orediggers also host UT Dallas on Saturday at 3 p.m. Free live stats will be available, as well as live video with a subscription to the RMAC Network.
 
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.