RAPID CITY, S.D. – Sophomore guard Denali Pinto dropped 28 points on Friday night as she guided the Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team to a 77-75 overtime victory at South Dakota School of Mines inside the King Center.
 
Pinto also added six rebounds, three assists and one steal to her resume. Megan Van de Graaf stepped up with 14 points and Liz Holter added 12. The duo of Van de Graaf and Holter combined for three rebounds and two assists. Sammy Van Sickle led all players on the glass thanks to 12 rebounds. She added two assists, one steal and seven points for good measure. Topping it all off was Ashley Steffeck who led all players with three steals. She dished out four assists, scored seven points and grabbed three rebounds as well.
 
The Orediggers (9-6, 6-4 RMAC) finished the game shooting nearly 50 percent from the floor and 33 percent from three-point range. South Dakota School of Mines earned the advantage in rebounding by a margin of 43-32. The Hardrockers also forced 12 turnovers by the visitors. However, Mines' defense held SDSMT under 40 percent shooting and edged the home team with 40 points in the paint. With the victory, Colorado School of Mines takes over sole possession of seventh place in the RMAC standings after a shakeup in the top half of the conference.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Colorado School of Mines and South Dakota Mines came together on Friday night in Rapid City with snow falling to the east and the wind howling in Golden. However, the environment inside the King Center was stifling hot from the very first whistle to the final buzzer. The game featured 10 ties and 12 lead changes. After the first quarter, SDSMT held a 20-19 edge despite the Orediggers shooting 61.5 percent from the field.
 
The visitors took over the second period by scoring 25 points and limiting the Hardrockers to just 14. Holter and Van de Graaf led the charge as the duo combined for 15 points. Colorado School of Mines kept its shooting percentage at 57.1 and rolled into halftime with a 44-34 advantage. But that lead did not last for long as the home team came out and dropped 34 points in the second half while limiting the Orediggers to 24.
 
With the game headed into overtime, Pinto did not hesitate to take the reins. After scoring 12 points in the second half, Pinto opened the extra period with back-to-back three-point baskets. The Orediggers' 6-0 run put the visitors in front, 74-68. South Dakota Mines attempted to rally back with five free throws and a layup. However, a point from Holter and a jumper by Pinto clinched the final tally as SDSMT saw it's last-second shot fall short at the buzzer.
 
COACH'S COMMENT
"Today was a really good game as far as the excitement," said Mines Head Coach Brittany Simpson. "Rapid City is always a tough place to play. We knew it was going to be a tight ball game. But our kids made some big plays in the fourth quarter that helped pull out the win."
 
NOTABLES
- The Orediggers are now 5-5 in the all-time series against South Dakota Mines.
- Friday marked the smallest margin of victory for Colorado School of Mines over SDSMT.
- The last time the Orediggers won in Rapid City was Dec. 10, 2016 by a score of 64-61.
- Holter's 12 points in Rapid City mark a single-game career high for the junior.
- Holter also notched the 100th assist of her collegiate career. The transfer racked up 61 at NCAA Division I Incarnate Word and has 39 this season at Mines.
- Furthermore, Holter surpassed 100 points for the season and for her career with the Orediggers.
- Van de Graaf notched a career high for single-game scoring with her 14 points. Her previous high was 11 points on two different occasions.
- Pinto boasts at least 18 points in seven consecutive games. She's also scored in double digits in eight straight games.
- Pinto ranks #1 in the RMAC in total points and points per game in 2019-20.
- McKale Grant made the first three-point basket of her career in Friday's win at SDSMT.
- Head Coach Brittany Simpson is 122-94 in eight years at the helm.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
The Orediggers face Black Hills State on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. in Spearfish, S.D. Live stats and video of the games will be available at www.minesathletics.com.
 
Keep up with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all season long on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics. Fans can also follow Mines Volleyball on Twitter using the handle @MinesVolleyball.