SALT LAKE CITY – Mines women's basketball used a strong second half Thursday evening to pull away from Westminster for a 78-62 victory on the road.
 
Sofia Baldessari had a first-half double-double and finished touting 24 points, 13 rebounds, and three assists. Jenna Shandy came up big with 17 points, nine assists, and four rebounds. Twelve points from Emma Sixta and 10 off the hand of Sophia Baal made it a quartet of Orediggers scoring in double figures. Jade Leon added to the highlights by notching six points, six assists, five rebounds, one steal, and one block. Also notable were four assists from Sixta.
 
Mines (4-6, 2-1 RMAC) earned its second straight win by shooting exactly 50 percent from the floor. The Orediggers' defense held Westminster (2-5, 0-3 RMAC) under 37-percent shooting. Mines also shot nearly 60 percent from behind the three-point line with 13 made three pointers. Both teams only had eight turnovers each, but the visitors earned an edge on the glass to offset just three made free throws. The Griffins went 7-of-10 at the free-throw line and made seven three-pointers.  Overall, the game featured seven ties and six lead changes.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Baldessari exploded for 11 first-quarter points, but Westminster still carried a 17-16 edge into the first break thanks to a 10-7 rebounding advantage. Baldessari scored seven more points in the second quarter and grabbed seven more rebounds. Shandy added six points and helped Mines carry a 35-24 lead into halftime.
 
The second half was all Orediggers. They outscored the Griffins 26-13 in the third quarter and 17-15 in the fourth quarter. Baldessari and Sixta came out of the locker room and combined for 14 points in the third frame while Shandy dished out three assists. The final 10 minutes of action featured five points and three assists from Shandy and eight combined points by Sixta and Baal. Mines converted 7-of-11 attempts from the floor in the fourth quarter including a 2-for-2 mark from behind the three-point line.
 
NOTABLES
- Mines is now 11-6 in the all-time series against Westminster.
- The Orediggers are also 8-2 in their last 10 meetings with the Griffins.
- Thursday marked Mines' first win in Salt Lake City since 2022.
- The last time the Orediggers won by 14 points or more at Westminster was Jan. 7, 2017.
- Baldessari's double-double on Thursday was the first of her career. She also matched her single-game career high in points and rebounds.
- Baldessari set a new career high with five made three-pointers and three assists against the Griffins.
- Leon and Shandy also had a new collegiate bests in assists on Thursday.
- Mines Head Coach Brittany Simpson is now 236-145 in her 14th season at the helm.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines takes on #13 Colorado Mesa Saturday afternoon in Grand Junction, Colo. 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.