Mines (12-14, 10-8 RMAC) at UCCS (15-10, 11-7 RMAC) – Thursday, 5 p.m. – Colorado Springs [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
Mines (12-14, 10-8 RMAC) at CSU Pueblo (16-10, 11-7 RMAC) – Saturday, 4 p.m. – Pueblo, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]

---

FINAL PUSH
The Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team has two games remaining on its regular-season schedule. The Orediggers will play those games on the road this week with a trip to UCCS on Thursday and a journey to CSU Pueblo on Saturday. Thursday's tipoff is slated for 5 p.m. Saturday is scheduled for a 4 p.m. start. Both contests will be critical in Mines' quest for a berth in the conference tournament.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
Free live video of all Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, regular-season games will be offered on the RMAC Network. Conference tournament games will be pay-per-view come March. All of Mines' RMAC games, home and away, will also include free live stats as linked above, at www.minesathletics.com, and on social media.
 
LOOKING BACK
Last week featured one game on the road and another at home for Mines, and the Orediggers won both. On Tuesday, Mines made the short drive to MSU Denver and walked away with a 70-53 victory. Emma Sixta keyed the win with 21 points, three rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Peyton Freiermuth, Jenna Siebert, and Jessica Rios all scored in double digits as well. Also notable were Freiermuth's seven rebounds and four assists. Thursday was "Rock the Lock" against Regis and the Orediggers did not disappoint. They ground out a 65-61 decision thanks to a balanced attack. Siebert scored 16 points and added six rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Sixta tallied 13 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Peyton Freiermuth had 11 points, five rebounds, four assists, and one steal. The real story of the game came in the final minutes. Rios converted free throws on her senior night and Sixta drew a late offensive foul to seal the victory. Both wins marked a regular-season sweep of the Roadrunners and Rangers.
 
RUNNING HOT
Mines started the month of February on a three-game skid. As of late, the Orediggers have heated up. They have won four straight and put themselves in contention for a berth in the RMAC tournament. The run started with a 51-49 win over Black Hills State. At the time, the Yellow Jackets were a top-three team in the conference standings. Mines continued its success with a dominant, 87-57 win against Chadron State which featured 40 points form Jenna Siebert. Two wins last week pushed the Orediggers streak to four. It marks Mines' longest win streak of the season so far.
 
RMAC RUNDOWN
Colorado Mesa clinched at least a share of the RMAC crown last week and there are nine teams contending for eight spots in the conference tournament. Mesa, along with Western Colorado, Black Hills State, and Adams State have all clinched a berth in the RMAC bracket. CSU Pueblo and UCCS, both of Mines' foes this week, each need one win to guarantee postseason play. The Orediggers are tied for seventh with New Mexico Highlands at 10-8 and Regis is currently on the outside looking in at 9-9. Every other team has been mathematically eliminated. As far as seeding, CMU and Western Colorado will either be #1 or #2. After that, it's all up in the air and the tiebreakers are too convoluted to explain. One win for Mines keeps the Orediggers relatively safe. Two victories promises a spot in the postseason. Helpful? Probably not, just know that it's going to come down to the wire against two very difficult road opponents.
 
HISTORY FOR SIEBERT
Earlier this month, Jenna Siebert broke the program's single-game scoring record by exploding for 40 points against Chadron State. She accomplished the feat without attempting a free throw, shooting 6-of-11 from three-point range and 17-of-29 from the floor. The previous record was shared by Taylor Helbig and Denali Pinto. Helbig scored 38 against McMurry during the 2014-15 season. Pinto tallied 38 against Fort Lewis in 2021-22. It marked Siebert's fifth game of the season, and her career, with 30 points or more which also ties the program record. The only other players in the history of Mines women's basketball to score at least 30 points in a game five times in their respective careers were Ashley Steffeck and Denali Pinto who are #1 and #2 in career scoring for the Orediggers. It adds to a long list of season accomplishments by Siebert which will be highlighted below.
 
JENNA SIEBERT
This section serves as a high-level summary of Jenna Siebert's historic accomplishments during the 2024-25 season. Through 26 games, Siebert has scored a total of 509 points. That ranks #3 in the Mines record book and she's only the third Oredigger to score at least 500 points in a season. She's 75 points from breaking the program record. Siebert's scoring has largely come from 188 made field goals which is tied for #2 in Mines history, just 13 shy of that record. She's had five games of 30 points or more. No other Oredigger woman has more than five games of 30 points or more. Additionally, the Valor Christian graduate boasts 131 made three-pointers in her collegiate career, ranking #9 in Oredigger history. Her 56 three-pointers in 2024-25 are tied for #11 in the record book. Finally, with two games to play in this season and one full season of eligibility remaining, Siebert touts 960 career points. There's probably more, but that covers most of it. Jenna Siebert – pretty good at basketball.
 
DISHING DIMES
Josephine Howery and Peyton Freiermuth have both put their names in the program record book this season as well. Freiermuth did it after handing out 11 assists against defending national champion Minnesota State. She became the sixth Oredigger to ever dish out double-digit dimes in a single game. Freiermuth's performance tied her with Laura Tyree for third on Mines' all-time list. The only Orediggers with more assists than Freiermuth in a single game are Liz Holter and Debbie Gangloff. For Howery, it's been the long game. She's #9 on Mines' all-time assists list. Howery has handed out 244 helpers which pushed her Cathy Dingwall's 243 from 1982-86.
 
SCOUTING UCCS
The season started with UCCS as one of four defending co-champions of the league. The Mountain Lions have had only a little letdown as they sit 15-10 (11-7 RMAC) and tied for fifth in the conference standings. Two wins for UCCS could push the squad from Colorado Springs all the way to #4 and hosting. They are #10 in the first NCAA Regional rankings. Last week, the Mountain Lions lost at Adams State, 71-65, before escaping New Mexico Highlands, 75-72, in Las Vegas. As a team, UCCS is positive in scoring margin and in the turnover battle, but upside down on the glass by 1.8 rebounds per game. Individually, Amyah Moore Allen and Maison White are a problem for most teams. Moore Allen averages 18.3 points per game. White ranks #15 in the nation in double-doubles thanks to 12.9 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. Moore Allen also compliments her game with 2.4 assists and 2.0 steals each night.
 
OREDIGGERS AGAINST THE MOUNTAIN LIONS
Mines narrowly trails UCCS in the all-time series, 23-24. The tie at 23 was broken in the first round of last year's RMAC tournament. The Mountain Lions won the quarterfinal game in Colorado Springs by a score of 71-65. The Orediggers are 6-4 in their last 10 meetings with UCCS and own a 22-17 advantage in conference games. The Mountain Lions are 12-11 at home against Mines. Going outside the numbers and using the "eye test", UCCS is always difficult to play in Colorado Springs. Friday will mark the only meeting of the regular season between the Orediggers and Mountain Lions.
 
SCOUTING CSU PUEBLO
Colorado State University at Pueblo's women started conference play with seven straight wins before the Orediggers knocked off the ThunderWolves in Golden. Since then, the Pack is 6-6. Overall, CSU Pueblo boasts a record of 16-10 (11-7 RMAC) and is tied with UCCS for fifth in the conference standings. Even so, the ThunderWolves are outside the top-10 in the South Central Region – at least for now. Success for CSU Pueblo is based solely on the performance of one of the best players in the country – Alisha Little. She boasts averages of 25.3 points, 11.9 rebounds, 3.6 blocks, 2.8 steals, and 1.5 assists per game. Nobody else on the team averages more than 8.0 points or 4.1 rebounds per game. Needless to say, Little is highly ranked in most national statistical categories. She will undoubtedly get her points and rebounds on Saturday evening.
 
OREDIGGERS AGAINST THE THUNDERWOLVES
Mines and CSU Pueblo met earlier this season in Golden. The Orediggers worked a 62-56 upset of the ThunderWolves. Jade Leon led the charge by scoring 20 points, grabbing seven rebounds, adding four steals and two assists. Emma Sixta scored 13 points. That win improved Mines to 29-38 in the all-time series against CSU Pueblo. The Orediggers have also won three straight against the ThunderWolves and eight of the last 10 meetings. Mines last lost in Pueblo on Jan. 28, 2022.
 
SISTER-SISTER
The Orediggers' 2024-25 roster features sisters Michaela Lee and Olivia Lee. Michaela is in her second season at Mines. As a true freshman, she came off the bench and scored six points, grabbed eight rebounds, blocked four shots, and grabbed two steals in just 28 total minutes of action. Olivia is in her first, and only, season as an Oredigger. She started her collegiate career at Western New Mexico before transferring to Cal State San Bernardino after two seasons. The elder Lee completed her bachelor's degree at CSUSB and came to Mines to pursue a master's degree and play her final season of collegiate basketball. Prior to becoming an Oredigger, Olivia accumulated 462 points, 391 rebounds, 61 blocks, 35 assists, and 21 steals across 81 games.
 
MEET TAYLOR HARRIS
The Mines coaching staff added a fresh face last spring with Taylor Harris taking over as assistant coach for the Orediggers. Harris, a 14-year veteran coach, came to the Orediggers after leading Fort Lewis' women's squad for three seasons. Other stops for the Colorado native include Miles Community College (Mont.), and 10 years of service at fellow RMAC programs in Regis and MSU Denver. Fans can check out Harris' full biography HERE.
 
BOSS LADY
Head Coach Brittany Simpson is in her 13th 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 231-137 (62.7). 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 36 All-RMAC selections including 15 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
The future of Mines' 2024-25 season depends on the Orediggers' results this week. If they do qualify for the 2025 RMAC Women's Basketball Tournament, quarterfinal action begins the evening of March 4. Fans can keep an eye on www.minesathletics.com to learn about Mines' fate.
 
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.