GRAND JUNCTION – The Colorado School of Mines women's basketball team fell behind early Saturday at USA Today Sports/WBCA No. 13 Colorado Mesa and never recovered as the host Mavericks defeated the Orediggers 68-53 at Brownson Arena in Grand Junction.

The setback was the first in five games and second to a top-25 foe for the Orediggers, dropping their overall record to 8-5 and RMAC mark to 5-2, while CMU remained unbeaten at 12-0 and 8-0 in the conference with their eighth straight home win dating back to last season.

After leading for all 40 minutes in last night's 66-53 victory at Western State, the roles were reversed for the Orediggers as Mines failed to connect on nine of its first 11 shots allowing CMU to run out to a 19-4 lead 6:45 into the game. The Mavericks pushed their advantage out to 34-13 with 5:22 to play in the half before entering the break leading 39-20.

The Orediggers twice closed within 13 in the second half – the latter at 62-49 with 5:21 remaining, but the early deficit was too much to overcome as CMU collected its 12th double digit victory of the season.

Sophomore Taylor Helbig paced the women for the second straight night with 16 points, her seventh consecutive game in double digits and junior Allie Grazulis added 14, all coming in the second half on 5-of-6 shooting in the frame.

RMAC scoring leader Kelsey Sigl finished with a game-high 21 points for the Mavericks, while Sharaya Selsor dropped in 20 and sister Katrina Selsor tallied 16.

Ranked in the top-five in Division II in both scoring defense (48.5 points per game) and field goal percentage defense (0.315) and 10th in field goal percentage offense (0.458) at the beginning of the week, the Mavericks lived up to their statistical rankings Saturday holding Mines to its second-lowest scoring output of the year on 35.2 percent (19-of-54) shooting, while connecting on 44.4 percent (24-of-54) on their end.

The Orediggers entered the day as the conference leader in rebounding at 43.9 per game, yet the Mavericks won the battle on the glass 41-to-28, bettering their sixth-ranked rebound margin of plus-12.5, and finished with an 11-to-4 edge in second chance points and 22-to-8 advantage in points in the lane.

Mines is back home for its next four RMAC contests, beginning next Friday, Jan. 11 with a 6 p.m. tip versus Regis at Lockridge Arena.