GOLDEN, Colo. – The Colorado School of Mines women's basketball team successfully celebrated Senior Night on Tuesday with a 63-50 victory against Regis inside Lockridge Arena.

The Oredigger quartet of Sofia Baldessari, Jenna Shandy, Jade Leon, and Sophia Baal fueled the winning effort. Baldessari led all players with 20 points while adding eight rebounds, three assists and two steals in 29 minutes of action. Shandy, on her Senior Night, scored 15 points, handed out four assists, and grabbed two rebounds. Leon's line included 11 points, five rebounds, one assist, and zero turnovers. Baal posted the first double-double of her career thanks to 10 points and 10 rebounds. She also blocked a shot and notched an assist. Quincey Baum celebrated her Senior Night with a quartet of assists.

The victory kept Mines' (15-15, 10-9 RMAC) postseason hopes firmly alive by giving the Orediggers a half-game edge for the seventh seed in the RMAC Tournament bracket. Regis (1-21, 1-18 RMAC) suffered its sixth straight loss. Mines earned the win with advantages in all but two statistical categories listed in the box score. The Orediggers' biggest edge was a 44-33 rebound advantage. Their defense also held the Rangers to 32-percent shooting while the home offense converted 40 percent of its shots including six three-pointers. The two advantages for RU came in the turnover battle (14-9) and blocked shots (2-1). Mines officially celebrated its senior duo during halftime of the ensuing men's game.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Shandy scored the first points of the game, draining her signature pull-up jump shot just outside the paint. Despite the promising start, Mines had a sluggish first quarter and trailed 22-12 after 10 minutes of action. The Orediggers came alive in the second quarter and outscored Regis, 25-13. Baldessari sparked the surge with 11 points in the frame, but it was Shandy who stole the show. After making the first shot of the half, she buried the final shot of the half as well. It was a squared-up three-pointer firmly shot from behind the half-court line at the buzzer. It gave Shandy seven points in the quarter and pushed Mines into the lead, 37-35.
 
After halftime, the home advantage ballooned to 44-35 thanks to a 7-0 run featuring baskets off the hands of Baal, Emma Sixta, and Baldessari. Overall, it was a 16-3 surge going back to the second quarter. The Rangers hung around and cut their deficit to 46-41 after both teams shot under 25 percent from the floor in the third quarter. Regis stayed pesky and even pulled within three points on two occasions in the fourth frame. In the end, Baldessari, Shandy, and Leon all scored six points apiece during the final 10 minutes and put the game away.  
 
NOTABLES
- Mines improved to 33-56 in the all-time series against Regis.
- The Orediggers have taken four straight from the Rangers and seven of the last 10 meetings.
- Baal earned her first collegiate double-double thanks to a career-high 10 rebounds.
- With a trio of three-pointers, Baldessari moved into a tie for #12 in the program record book for made three-pointers in a season. She's also tied for #5 in single-season free throws.
- Shandy's half-court three-pointer tied her for #14 in the program record book for made three-pointers in a season. She's also tied for #11 in single-season assists with 97 this year.
- Head Coach Brittany Simpson is now 246-154 in her 14th season leading the Orediggers.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines travels to MSU Denver on Thursday for a 5:30 p.m. contest. Live video will be available with a subscription to the RMAC Network and there will be free live stats 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.