Mines (11-8, 6-2 RMAC) at Regis (0-12, 0-9 RMAC) – Thursday, 5 p.m. – Denver, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
Mines (11-8, 6-2 RMAC) vs. MSU Denver (6-11, 4-5 RMAC) – Saturday, 1 p.m. – Lockridge Arena [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]

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KEEPING IT LOCAL
Mines women's basketball has a split week ahead with minimal mileage as the Orediggers play at Regis on Thursday at 5 p.m. before hosting MSU Denver Saturday at 1 p.m. Thursday marks Mines' third straight road contest, and Saturday is just a one-game reprieve at Lockridge Arena before another road trip the following weekend. The Orediggers will look to ride the momentum of seven straight wins and further solidify their standing in the top four of the RMAC standings.
 
GET YOUR TICKETS
Fans planning to attend Saturday's game are encouraged to purchase digital tickets online in advance at tickets.minesthletics.com. Tickets are available at the door if needed. Mines students and employees can access their free tickets by logging in with their Mines SSO. Blaster Card scanning no longer works to get into any Oredigger home game. Additionally, one ticket on Saturday covers both the women and women in the basketball doubleheader.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
Fans can watch this week's action with a subscription to the RMAC Network. Miles Dunklin will have the call for Saturday's showdown. There will also be free live stats linked above and at www.minesathletics.com.
 
RMAC NETWORK CHANGES
During the fall, the RMAC Network moved to a pay-per-view model for all events. Fans can purchase monthly and annual subscriptions that will provide them access to all regular-season, championship, and archived broadcasts on the RMAC Network. A monthly subscription costs $25, and an annual subscription costs $130. Single-game passes are available for $10, which grants access to a single game for 24 hours. For technical support questions, fans can contact Hudl Support or email the RMAC directly (rmac@rmacsports.org). For further support, fans can visit the RMAC Network Help page.
 
SEVEN IN A ROW
The Mines women extended their win streak to seven after a pair of road victories last week. It's the Orediggers' longest winning streak since the 2023-24 season when they won 12 consecutive games from Nov. 18 through Jan. 13. The current surge started with a victory at Hawaii Pacific in December. Mines stayed hot after the holiday break by posting dominant home wins over Nelson and Northern New Mexico. Then, conference play resumed and the Orediggers knocked off Chadron State and South Dakota Mines at Lockridge Arena. Mines' first road trip of 2026 saw a come-from-behind victory at CSU Pueblo and a firm statement at Colorado Christian. During the span of success, Mines' average margin of victory has been over 21 points per game. That large margin is thanks to wins of 98-52 and 100-49 against Nelson and Northern New Mexico, respectively. The Orediggers' last loss was Dec. 18 in a 76-55 hiccup against Alaska Anchorage in Hawaii. Nationally, the run is the eighth-longest active winning streak in NCAA Division II.
 
RMAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sofia Baldessari was voted RMAC Offensive Player of the Week Monday, giving Mines four of the last six weekly honors awarded by the conference office. Baldessari and Jade Leon swept RMAC Offensive Player of the Week and RMAC Defensive Player of the Week on Jan. 5. Last week, Leon earned a second consecutive RMAC Defensive Player of the Week award. This week, Baldessari grabbed her second accolade of the season and her career thanks to 26.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.0 steals per game. She went for 22 points, 10 rebounds, four steals, and two assists at CSU Pueblo on Thursday. On Saturday, the Englewood, Colo., native poured in 30 points with 14 rebounds and three assists at Colorado Christian. Her 30 points at CCU are tied for #28 in program history and mark the 32nd time a Mines woman has scored 30 points in a game. Baldessari is just the sixth player in program history to score 30 points or more in multiple games.
 
LOOKING BACK
Last week, the Orediggers took their first road trips of 2026. They started at CSU Pueblo where they pulled off a come-from-behind, 73-70 victory. Mines entered the fourth quarter trailing by 13 points and roared back with 28 points in the final period. The score was tied at 70-70 with 29 seconds on the clock. Jade Leon nabbed a steal after a home defensive rebound, and Quincey Baum capitalized by nailing a three-pointer off a pass from Jenna Shandy to clinch the win. Baldessari led all players with 22 points and 10 rebounds while adding four steals and two assists. Baum turned in a career-high 17 points and notched four rebounds, three assists, and one steal as well. Shandy and Emma Sixta combined for 26 points and 11 assists. On Saturday, the Orediggers pulled away from Colorado Christian after a back-and-forth first quarter in Lakewood. Thirty points and 14 rebounds from Baldessari fueled the 77-68 win. Shandy and Leon contributed a total of 25 points.
 
SCOUTING REGIS
Regis women's basketball sports an overall record of 0-12 and a conference mark of 0-9. The Rangers were just in action Tuesday night at MSU Denver where the Rangers fell by a score of 83-73. Regis did push CSU Pueblo to overtime last Saturday, but ended up losing, 82-78. Other single-digit losses for RU came at home against Fort Lewis and on the road at Western Colorado. Kate Gallery serves as Regis' leading scorer thanks to 16.6 points per game. Catie Turnbow touts 10.3 points per game as well. On the glass, Jessica Bollwahn leads the way with 9.6 rebounds per game. Also notable is Kate Gallery leading the RMAC and ranking #22 in the nation in minutes per game while Bollwahn is #10 in the nation in defensive rebounds per game.
 
OREDIGGERS AGAINST THE RANGERS
Mines trails Regis, 31-56, in the rivalry between the Orediggers and Rangers. However, Mines does sit 7-3 in its last 10 meetings with RU and the Orediggers won seven straight from 2018-22. Last season, Mines and Regis played twice with the Orediggers winning both. The first meeting in Denver went to Mines, 60-49, and snapped a three-game skid against RU. In Golden, the Orediggers edged out a 65-61 victory. Jenna Shandy starred in both games, averaging 21.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals across the two contests. The last time Regis beat Mines was Jan. 19, 2024, by a score of 93-74 in Golden.
 
SCOUTING MSU DENVER
The retirement of women's basketball legend Tanya Haave has the MSU Denver women under new leadership. Thus far, new head coach Lynn Kennedy has the Roadrunners 6-11 overall, but 4-5 in conference play. As reference above, MSU Denver pulled away from Regis on Tuesday evening for a 10-point victory at home. The Roadrunners also own RMAC victories over Colorado Christian, Westminster, and Fort Lewis. They earned non-conference wins against Western New Mexico and Manhattan Christian College. Mikylah Espinosa ranks #11 in the league in scoring with her team-high 16.4 points per game. She also hands out 3.5 assists per game and averages 2.2 steals each outing. Keira Mitchell, in just five games of action boasts 13 blocks and 36 rebounds. As a team, the Roadrunners are top-25 in the nation in free-throw percentage and three-point percentage.
 
OREDIGGERS AGAINST THE ROADRUNNERS
The all-time series between Mines and MSU Denver is similar to the rivalry between the Orediggers and the Rangers. The Roadrunners are 55-35 all-time against Mines. However, the Orediggers have an active win streak of seven games against MSU Denver and are 9-1 across the last 10 meetings. Last season featured two showdowns between the cross-metro rivals. Mines notched a 71-63 win in Golden thanks to Jenna Shandy's 31 points. Later, in Denver, the Orediggers rode Emma Sixta's 21 points to a 70-53 victory. The last time MSU Denver beat Mines was a 74-67, overtime thriller in Denver in 2022. The Roadrunners haven't beaten the Orediggers at home since Dec. 16, 2017.
 
BALDESSARI BREAKS RECORD
Sophomore forward Sofia Baldessari broke the program's single-game scoring record on Friday, Jan. 2, against Nelson. She torched the Warriors for 45 points inside Lockridge Arena. The previous record was 40 points set by teammate Jenna Shandy at home against Chadron State last season. That performance made Baldessari the first Oredigger woman to ever go over 40 points in a single game. Her 45 points are also tied for #4 in RMAC history and #1 in NCAA Division II this season. She accomplished the feat in just 26 minutes of action while going 4-for-9 from three-point range, 16-of-23 from the floor, and 9-for-10 at the free-throw line. She had a career-high five steals as well. Also notable in the same game were seven assists for Shandy – six of which were to Baldessari. So far during the 2025-26 season, only four players across all three divisions of the NCAA have scored more points in a game than Baldessari. One of those is Audi Crooks from Iowa State.
 
MORE BALDESSARI
In the midst of her second collegiate season and first campaign with the Orediggers, Sofia Baldessari is already making program history. As referenced above, the sophomore who started her career at College of Saint Benedict in Minnesota has already broken Mines' single-game scoring record. Furthermore, Baldessari's 30 points at Colorado Christian made her the sixth Oredigger woman to record multiple games of 30 points or more. The other five players who have accomplished the same feat are Jenna Shandy, Ashley Steffeck, Denali Pinto, Angie Charchalis, and Mary Meager. Through 19 games, Baldessari leads the Orediggers in scoring and rebounding with 17.9 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. That ranks her #3 in the RMAC in rebounding and #4 in scoring. Nationally, she's #40 in DII in scoring average. Furthermore, the two-time RMAC Offensive Player of the Week touts two of the top seven single-game scoring performances in the conference this season. She's also #2 in the RMAC in free-throw percentage, #9 in field-goal percentage, #13 in three-point field goals per game and #20 in steals per game.
 
JENNA SHANDY
Jenna Shandy continues to climb the all-time rankings in the program record book. On opening weekend, she surpassed 1,000 career points and was officially honored with a commemorative ball prior to tipoff against Northern New Mexico on Jan. 3. With 12 games remaining in her collegiate career, Shandy now boasts 1,234 points which ranks #8 in program history. She's just 39 points shy of tying Brecca Gaffney at #7. Additionally, Shandy has drained 175 three-pointers in her career which is tied for #6 in program history and sits seven short of Cassidy Budge's 182 made three-pointers. Furthermore, Shandy now boasts 226 career assists and ranks #11 in the Mines record book. She needs 18 assists to surpass Cathy Dingwall at #10.
 
MORE SHANDY
Many fans know her as Jenna Siebert, but now they'll know her as Jenna Shandy. In the midst of her final season, Shandy has made her mark as one of Mines' most prolific scorers – ever. To start, she surpassed 1,000 points for her career on opening weekend of the 2025-26 season. Last year, 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. A record toppled by teammate Sofia Baldessari this season. That performance was one of five for Shandy featuring 30 points or more in single game – tied for first in program history with Denali Pinto and Ashley Steffeck. 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 #7 and tied for #17 for three-point field goals made in a season.
 
ROSTER RUNDOWN
The Orediggers' 2025-26 roster includes 11 players. Five 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 has 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, junior 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 and Leon both 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.
 
BOSS LADY
Head Coach Brittany Simpson is in 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 242-147 (.622). 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. nine of Mines' 14 1,000-point scorers have surpassed the milestone under Simpson's watch.
 
UP NEXT
The Orediggers travel to Fort Lewis next Thursday and Adams State next Saturday. 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.