#7 Mines (13-1, 9-0 RMAC) at Regis (9-5, 6-2 RMAC) – Friday, 5 p.m. – Denver, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
#7 Mines (13-1, 9-0 RMAC) at UCCS (5-10, 4-5 RMAC) – Saturday, 5 p.m. – Colorado Springs, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
#7 Mines (13-1, 9-0 RMAC) at MSU Denver (6-8, 4-4 RMAC) – Tuesday, 5 p.m. – Lockridge Arena [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]

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ON THE ROAD AGAIN
This weekend marks the start of a four-game road trip for the #7 Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team including three games in five days. The Orediggers start the journey at Regis on Friday and UCCS on Saturday before a midweek contest at MSU Denver on Tuesday. It will be a good test for the red-hot Mines squad which has played six of its last seven games at home. It also marks the Orediggers' first multi-week road trip since November. Mines touts an active, 11-game win streak and a two-game lead on the rest of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. They'll look to improve both those in the coming days.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
All RMAC contests will stream live and for free on the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Network. The RMAC Network can be accessed at www.minesathletics.com/tv, as well as with apps on all major smart TV platforms by searching RMAC. Live statistics are also available at www.minesathletics.com.
 
LAST WEEKEND
Mines hosted CSU Pueblo and New Mexico Highlands at Lockridge Arena last Friday and Saturday. The result was a 94-58 win over the ThunderWolves and a 79-48 victory against the Cowgirls. Friday's contest featured a 19-point, 11-rebound double-double from Megan Van de Graaf while teammate and fellow post player Shelby Nichols added 14 points and nine rebounds. Saturday saw a balanced attack with Ashley Steffeck, Sammy Van Sickle and Van de Graaf all notching 12 points each. Van Sickle made it a double-double with 12 rebounds as well. As a team, the Orediggers shot 49 percent from the floor for the weekend, forced 40 turnovers on 28 steals, and outrebounded the opposition, 85-65.
 
SCOUTING REGIS
Regis roared to a 3-1 start to the season before dropping three straight games to end non-conference play and start RMAC action. Now, the Rangers tout a five-game win streak and are #3 in the league standings. Their last action was a road trip to Alamosa, Colo., and Durango, Colo. Regis earned a 73-68 win at Adams State on Friday and defeated Fort Lewis on Saturday, 60-50. Individually, RU boasts a balanced scoring attack with Erin Fry, Erin Stroberg, Josey Ryan, and Sam Deem all averaging over 10 points per game. Fry is the clear-cut leader thanks to 14.6 points and 4.7 assist per game. She is one of three players in NCAA Division II with a triple-double this season and ranks #20 in the nation in free-throw attempts. Stroberg averages 10.7 points per game and is tops on the glass with 8.5 rebounds each contest. Sam Deem's 10.4 points per game are enhanced by averages of 7.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks each time out. Josey Ryan puts up 10.5 points per game and leads the team with 27 steals. Overall, the Rangers put up 70.9 points per game a own a positive scoring margin of 4.6.
 
SERIES HISTORY – RU
Mines trails the all-time series with Regis by a 29-53 margin, but the Orediggers have won seven straight against the Rangers and eight of the last 10 meetings. The last time Mines and Regis faced off, the Orediggers won a 73-58 contest in Denver, Colo., on Feb. 8, 2022. In that game, Courtney Stanton became the 11th 1,000-point scorer in program history. Sammy Van Sickle and Ashley Steffeck combined for 12 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and three steals. Mines hasn't lost to Regis since Feb. 27, 2018. The Orediggers haven't lost to RU inside Regis Field House since Feb. 5, 2016.
 
SCOUTING UCCS
The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs had a rough start to the season, dropping seven of its first eight games. However, morale received an immediate boost after the Mountain Lions knocked off Colorado Mesa, 71-51. Since that win, UCCS boasts a 3-3 record making them 5-10 overall and 4-5 in the RMAC. That mark currently ties the Mountain Lions for #8 in the league standings. The last action for UCCS was the same road trip as Regis to Fort Lewis and Adams State. The Mountain Lions defeated Fort Lewis in Durango, but fell to ASU in Alamosa. Amyah Allen Moore leads the team with 15.8 points per game. Maison White boasts 12.9 points and 8.9 rebounds per game and owns eight double-doubles so far this season. White, the defending RMAC Offensive Player of the Week ranks #11 in the nation in double-doubles, #14 in offensive rebounds per game, #33 in field-goal percentage, and #40 in total rebounds. As a team, UCCS averages 62.8 points per game, but gives up 66.3 to the opposition. The Mountain Lions will play MSU Denver on Friday before hosting Mines on Saturday.
 
SERIES HISTORY – UCCS
The all-time series between Mines and UCCS is tied at 22-22. The Orediggers have won two straight and are 6-4 in the last 10 meetings. Mines last loss to the Mountain Lions was in Colorado Springs on Feb. 28, 2020, by a score of 70-49. The Orediggers and UCCS' most recent meeting was Dec. 11, 2021, also in Colorado Springs. Mines won that game, 54-41. In the contest, Ashley Steffeck scored 10 points with four rebounds, three assists and two steals. Sammy Van Sickle racked up seven rebounds, three blocks, three points and two steals. The Orediggers have not won more than two straight games against the Mountain Lions since posting five consecutive wins from 2008-10.
 
SCOUTING MSU DENVER
MSU Denver opened the 2022-23 campaign with four straight losses and then started RMAC play 2-4. However, back-to-back wins last weekend have the Roadrunners up to 6-8 overall and 4-4 in league action. They'll face UCCS on Friday and Regis on Saturday before hosting Mines on Tuesday. MSU Denver's two wins last Friday and Saturday came at home against New Mexico Highlands (62-51), and CSU Pueblo (58-42). Kendra Parra is the Roadrunners' top threat on offense. Parra touts a 17.6 scoring average. Mikylah Espinosa and Jaiden Galloway are also notable. Espinosa boasts 2.3 steals and 9.1 points per contest. Galloway runs the offense as evidenced by 4.0 assists each outing. MSU Denver's team average is 64.4 points per game while giving up 67.1 to the opposition.
 
SERIES HISTORY – MSUD
Mines and MSU Denver already played once this season. The Orediggers defeated the Roadrunners 79-62 on Dec. 17 in Golden. That avenged a 74-67 overtime victory from last season. In the win, Jessica Rios poured in 20 points, Megan Van de Graaf scored 15, Ashley Steffeck had 14 points and Josephine Howery added 12 points. Rios and Jenna Siebert also notched four steals apiece. Steffeck and Sammy Van Sickle combined to block four shots. That victory moved Mines to 29-55 in the all-time series against MSU Denver. The Orediggers are 5-1 in their last six showdowns with the Roadrunners. Mines has not lost back to back games to MSU Denver since dropping three straight from 2017-19. The 84 meetings between the Orediggers and Roadrunners make it Mines' longest-standing rivalry in terms of games played in program history.
 
RMAC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sammy Van Sickle earned RMAC Defensive Player of the Week on Monday afternoon after her combined performance against CSU Pueblo and New Mexico Highlands. Van Sickle brought home her second award of the season and 11th of her career thanks to 10.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game along with 10 assists, nine steals, and three blocks. Against CSU Pueblo, the Arvada, Colo., native had nine points, six rebounds, six assists, five steals and one block. She followed up with a 12-point, 12-rebound double-double on Saturday while adding four steals, four assists and two blocks.
 
MORE SAMMY
If Bruce Dickinson (aka Christopher Walken) knew Sammy Van Sickle, he likely would have called for more Sammy instead of more cowbell. Through 14 games, the Ralston Valley High School graduate has racked up 45 steals and 22 blocks. That puts her #1 in the RMAC in total blocks, blocks per game, total steals and steals per game. Only one other player in all of NCAA women's basketball leads her respective conference in all four categories. Furthermore, Van Sickle is #16 in the nation in total steals and #7 in steals per game. Of course, the Mines graduate student has also racked up 65 assists and 109 rebounds as well which put her top-10 in the RMAC in both categories. In the Oredigger record book, Van Sickle currently ranks #5 in three-pointers made in a career, #5 in career assists, #5 in career blocks, #5 in career steals, and #5 in career rebounds. She also touts 851 career points and 769 career rebounds. So yeah, more Sammy, please.
 
THAT'S CALLED A WINNING STREAK
Mines has won 11 straight games, a streak that dates back to Friday, Nov. 25. The run is tied for #5 among active streaks in NCAA Division II. Only Ashland, Cal State Dominguez Hills, Central Missouri and Valdosta State have longer winning streaks. The Orediggers haven't lost a game since Saturday, Nov. 19, against now-#19 Nebraska-Kearney. Mines defeated then-#21 Central Washington, 72-53 on Nov. 25 and haven't lost since.
 
IT HAS HAPPENED BEFORE
The longest win streak in program history is 13 games which the Orediggers accomplished in 2015-16 and in 2021-22. Mines won the RMAC Regular Season Championship and played in the NCAA Tournament in both those seasons.
 
WINNING BIG
All of Mines' wins in 2022-23 have come by double digits. It marks the first time in program history that the Orediggers have earned their first 13 wins of any season by double digits. Their current scoring margin, or average margin of victory, is 18.9 points per game. That ranks #11 in NCAA Division II and #1 in the RMAC. Last week's 16.4 average margin of victory ranked #22 in the nation. There are currently 13 one-loss or undefeated teams in NCAA Division II including Mines. The Orediggers are the only team in that group to have won all of its games by double digits.
 
STARTING STRONG
While the title may not be appropriate as the season has past the halfway mark, the sentiment is still the same. At 13-1 in 2022-23, Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball is off to its second-best start to a season in program history. The Orediggers started the 2001-02 campaign with a 6-1 record. Their best start to a season in program history was in 2021-22 when they rolled to a 16-1 mark through 17 games.
 
NATIONAL STATISTICAL RANKINGS
Mines' women are top-25 in NCAA Division II in nine different statistical categories and top-10 in four of those categories. The Orediggers are #7 in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.30), turnover margin (9.29), and steals per game (13.6). They rank #8 in DII in winning percentage (.929). Mines also sits #11 in scoring margin (18.9), #12 in turnovers per game (12.8), #14 in offensive rebounds per game (16.1), #16 in scoring defense (55.4), and #21 in assists per game (16.6). Individually, Ashley Steffeck ranks #10 in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.07). She's also #1 among all active players in career steals average and #3 in career steals.
 
LEADING COLORADO
Colorado is home to 21 different collegiate women's basketball teams representing NCAA Divisions I, II, and III along with the junior college ranks. Mines has established itself as one of the best women's teams in the state of Colorado in 2022-23. The Orediggers are tied for #1 in total wins, tout the fewest losses and rank #1 in winning percentage. They also boast the longest active win streak in the state. The University of Colorado (DI) is the only team in Colorado that has matched Mines' 13 wins so far this season.
 
IN THE RANKINGS
For a sixth straight week, Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball improved its national ranking. The Orediggers rose to #7 in the media poll sponsored by D2SIDA. They also jumped to #9 in the coaches' poll put together by the Women's Basketball Coaches' Association (WBCA). Ashland remained #1 on both lists. Other familiar faces in the rankings included Texas Woman's, Nebraska-Kearney, Angelo State and West Texas A&M. The Pioneers of TWU are #8 in the media poll and #12 on the coaches' list. Nebraska-Kearney sits #19 and #25. Angelo State is ranked #21 by the WBCA and #22 by D2SIDA. West Texas A&M stands #20 in the coaches' poll and is receiving votes from the media. Mines is the only Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference program currently in the rankings.
 
HOW FAR WE'VE COME
The inaugural campaign for Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball was 1976-77. Through the first 20 seasons of the program's existence, the Orediggers totaled 106 victories with zero seasons above .500 and just two double-digit win campaigns. Over the last decade, including the 2022-23 campaign, Mines has racked up 172 wins, three conference titles, and three NCAA Tournament berths. The Orediggers have not finished under .500 since 2014-15, and have recorded double-digit wins every year since 2011-12.
 
BOSS LADY
Head Coach Brittany Simpson is in her 11th season leading the Mines women's basketball program. During her decade tenure, she has become the winningest coach in program history both in terms of total wins and win percentage at 187-108 (63.3). Simpson is responsible for all three of the program's RMAC titles including regular-season championships in 2015-16, 2020-21, and 2021-22, as well as three of four trips to the NCAA Tournament. She is a three-time RMAC Coach of the Year who has guided 31 All-RMAC selections including 11 first-teamers, 11 second-teamers, one third-team selection and eight honorable mention performers.
 
UP NEXT
Mines finishes its four-game road trip next Saturday, Jan. 21, at Western Colorado. Tipoff is slated for 5 p.m. Free live stats and video of the game will be offered 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.