GOLDEN, Colo. – Oredigger guards Jessica Rios and Emma Sixta helped the Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team outlast Regis on Thursday night in a 65-61, Rock-the-Lock victory inside a raucous Lockridge Arena.
 
Rios converted the critical free throws in the final 19 seconds to put the game out of reach. She finished with six points, three rebounds, and one steal. Sixta, who also scored key points late in the game, drew an offensive foul with 11 seconds on the clock which stole the Rangers' possession and all but sealed the win. Sixta's resume for the game included 13 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Despite that duo's heroics late, it took a full team effort to get the win. Jenna Siebert tallied 16 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Peyton Freiermuth turned in 11 points, five rebounds, four assists, and one steal. Also notable were seven points, five rebounds, three assists, and one block from Josephine Howery. Olivia Lee registered a key block, four points, and three rebounds as well. Erin Fry for Regis led all players with 22 points.
 
With the win, Mines (12-14, 10-8 RMAC) extended its win streak to four. Regis (10-14, 8-9 RMAC) dropped its second straight and third of its last four outings. The Orediggers also completed a regular-season sweep of RU after grinding out a 60-49 win in Denver on Jan. 25. While shooting percentages were similar, Mines found narrow advantages in the turnover and rebounding battles. The home team earned a 42-38 win on the glass and only committed 11 turnovers. The Oredigger defense forced 14 Regis turnovers. Furthermore, Mines outscored RU by 20 points in the paint. The visitors attempted 25 free throws and made 19. The Orediggers converted eight of their 12 chances at the charity stripe. Thursday was also Mines' annual "Rock the Lock" event which brought a crowd of nearly 1,000. The Orediggers also honored their senior trio of Howery, Lee, and Rios at halftime of the men's game.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Five ties, eight lead changes and total of 42 fouls whistled underscored the battle that ensued on the main court at Lockridge Arena on Thursday evening. A quick layup from Freiermuth off the opening jump gave Mines an early lead, but Regis quickly answered and jumped ahead. In fact, the Rangers led for 7:04 of the first quarter compared to 00:21 for the Orediggers. Even so, Mines only faced a 21-19 deficit after 10 minutes of play. The second quarter saw the Rangers push their lead all the way to eight points, but the home team responded again. A Freiermuth three-pointer started the rally. Then, in the final minutes of the half, Michaela Lee drained a jumper and Howery hit a free throw. That made Regis' advantage 34-32 at the break.
 
Freiermuth started the third quarter with a three-pointer that gave Mines a 35-34 lead, and the game was on. Each basket for the next eight minutes was a lead change. There were six total in that span alone. Once again, at the end of the quarter, the Rangers held a two-point lead at 46-44. Midway through the fourth period brought the true turning point of the night. Five unanswered points off the hand of Siebert sparked a 7-0 surge for the Orediggers and they claimed a 60-54 lead – their biggest of the game. Regis clawed back within one point. However, Rios' free-throw shooting and Sixta drawing the offensive foul kept the Rangers from overtaking Mines. As the clock hit zero, the Orediggers celebrated their Senior Night win.
 
NOTABLES
- Mines improved to 31-56 in the all-time series against Regis.
- Thursday marked the first time the Orediggers swept the Rangers in the regular season since 2021-22.
- Mines is 7-3 in its last 10 meetings with RU.
- The victory puts Mines in firm position to earn a berth in the conference tournament with two games left to play for the Orediggers.
- Howery moved up to #9 on the Orediggers' all-time assists list. She boasts 244 in her collegiate career.
- Freiermuth notched a career high in made three-pointers by draining a trio against the Rangers.
- Siebert is officially #3 on Mines' single-season scoring list. She's 76 away from Ashley Steffeck's program record.
- Siebert also took over #3 on the Orediggers' all-time list for made field goals in a season.
- Oredigger Head Coach Brittany Simpson is now 232-137 in her 13th season at the helm.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines closes the regular season on the road at UCCS on Thursday and at CSU Pueblo on Saturday. Free live stats and video on the RMAC Network will be available for both teams 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.