GOLDEN, Colo. – Oredigger senior Denali Pinto tied one record and broke another on Friday night to help the #13-ranked Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team work an 84-56 victory against Fort Lewis at Lockridge Arena.
 
Pinto's 38 points tied the program's single-game scoring record. Her 10 three-pointers broke the program's single-game mark for long-range baskets. She added four steals, three rebounds, one block and one assist as well. Other double-digit scorers included Ashley Steffeck and Josephine Howery. Steffeck notched 12 points to compliment seven assists, six steals and five rebounds. Howery rounded out the trio by scoring 10 points. Sammy Van Sickle scored just two points but did everything else. She closed the game boasting nine rebounds, six assists, four steals and two blocks. Also notable were five assists apiece from Liz Holter and Loralee Stock.
 
The Orediggers (20-3, 15-2 RMAC) extended their win streak to three straight behind 46-percent shooting including 13 three-pointers. Fort Lewis (2-19, 1-14 RMAC) lost its 10th consecutive game despite shooting 40 percent and winning on the boards, 40-31. Mines made up the difference on the glass in the turnover battle, forcing 30 from the Skyhawks and committing just 10 of its own. That production resulted in 24 steals and 40 points off turnovers while FLC only managed four steals of its own. The Orediggers remain atop the conference standings. However, even though CSU Pueblo lost on Friday, the Griffins from Westminster won to keep the pressure on the Orediggers – just one game out of first place.  
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Even though snow was falling in earnest with blizzard conditions across The Front Range, Pinto did her best to make it all melt away by herself. The first basket of the game came from the Skyhawks and after that, it was all Orediggers. Pinto sparked a 14-0, first-quarter run in which she dropped a pair of three-pointers. Then, she drained three more before the end of the quarter. After 10 minutes of game action, Pinto boasted 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting including a 5-for-5 mark from behind the arc. Mines touted a 29-8 lead and never looked back.
 
Fort Lewis did produce valiant efforts in the second and fourth frames by outscoring the home team, 15-11 and 17-14. However, the Orediggers poured in 30 more points in the third quarter with Pinto accounting for 10 more and that made it all academic. Mines' first and third periods featured over 60-percent shooting from the floor and a combined mark of 8-for-11 from long range. Those numbers canceled out the second and fourth quarters in which FLC held the Orediggers under 35-percent production. There was one tie and one lead change – all of which took place in the first 2:02 of the game.
 
NOTABLES
- Mines improved to 23-37 in the all-time series against Fort Lewis including four consecutive wins over the Skyhawks.
- Friday marked the Orediggers' 16th double-digit victory of the season. It also marked just the third 20-win season in program history.
- Pinto's 38 points matched Taylor Helbig's output against McMurry during the 2014-15 season.
- Pinto now boasts five games of 30 points or more in her career. No other Oredigger has more than two 30-point games.
- Not only did Pinto's 10 three-pointers break the program's single-game record. They also moved her to #12 on the all-time, single-season list ahead of Iva Tomova, Karma Parks and Van Sickle.
- Only one other player in the history of women's basketball in the RMAC has scored more three-point baskets in a game than Pinto.
- Finally, Pinto's 12 field goals pushed her up the career list for made field goals. She now boasts 482 which ranks #4 in Mines history. She moved ahead of Janet Proctor (1992-96) and Kim Good (1999-02).
- Holter's five assists move the redshirt-senior to #6 on Mines' all-time, single-season list with 102 on the year. She surpassed Cathy Dingwall who dished out 101 in the 1985-86 season.
- Steffeck's six steals put her #3 on the program's single-season list with 96 this year. She rose above Gabi Sandoval's 91 steals during the 1994-95 campaign.
- Coach Simpson is 168-104 in her 10th season as head coach.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines returns home Feb. 11-12 to host Fort Lewis on Friday and Western Colorado on Saturday. Tickets can be purchased online at www.minesthletics.com/tickets or at the door. Live stats and video on the RMAC Network will be offered for free at www.minesathletics.com.
 
Fans can keep up with Mines women's basketball on Twitter 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.