Mines (3-5, 0-3 RMAC) vs. Colorado Christian (5-4, 3-0 RMAC) – Saturday, 3 p.m. [Live Stats] [Live Video]
Mines (3-5, 0-3 RMAC) vs. Regis (5-3, 1-2 RMAC) – Sunday, 1 p.m. [Live Stats] [Live Video]
ON THE RMAC NETWORK
Every Mines home game and RMAC road game can be seen live and for free on the RMAC Network at minesathletics.com/tv. The RMAC Network can also be found on Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, and Android TV devices by going to the app store and searching "RMAC".
CONFERENCE HOME OPENERS
The Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team returns home Saturday and Sunday from a three-game road trip to open its home slate of RMAC competition. Mines' winter graduation ceremonies have moved the games back one day as the Orediggers host red-hot Colorado Christian Saturday and I-70 rival Regis Sunday. Mines is still looking for its first win in conference play and it won't come easy, but no win in the RMAC ever comes easy.
LAST WEEK IN REVIEW
Mines took to the road last Friday and Saturday as part of their three-game road trip with a journey to the Western Slope. The Orediggers faced Western Colorado Friday in a 64-36 loss and dropped a heartbreaker at Colorado Mesa Saturday, 50-45. Both Western and Mesa boast top-50 defenses and it showed both days. However,
Anna Kollmorgen,
Nicole Archambeau and
Madelene McDonald proved Mines is never out of any game with 47 combined points over the two contests.
SCOUTING COLORADO CHRISTIAN
Colorado Christian makes the short trip to Golden undefeated in RMAC play and tied for first in the league standings. The Cougars' three conference wins feature a pair of double-digit victories against Regis and Chadron State with an overtime thriller against MSU Denver. Jordan Baer is the name to know and player to watch as she boasts 21.4 points per game and 7.9 rebounds per game. The senior is also averaging 1.0 blocks and nearly two steals per contest. Sarah McGinley (12.6) and Olivia Christy (10.5) also average double-digit scoring for the Cougars. As a team, CCU is top-50 in NCAA Division II in field-goal percentage (44.0) and turnovers per game (14.3).
COUGARS….AGAIN
Earlier this season, fans learned about mountain lions when the Orediggers faced UCCS. Since cougars and mountain lions are the exact same thing, we're running out of things to say about them. Not to mention nearly 20 contests against catamount-themed mascots this season has the author struggling for new, fun, or interesting facts about pumas. Instead, let's focus on this. According to the ever-reliable Wikipedia, 35 college teams at any given level use the nickname cougars. Three more have adopted the puma nickname with two catamount mascots and two mountain lion mascots. That means over 40 programs have the exact same mascot. Yet, no school has adopted blowfish, grasshoppers or praying mantis. And that's all we have to say about that.
SCOUTING REGIS
Regis opens the weekend at 5-3 overall and 1-2 in the RMAC with the chance to come to Golden 6-3 and 2-2 after facing UCCS Saturday. The Rangers' lone conference win is a 81-68 decision over Chadron State while RU boasts common opponents with Mines in Texas-Permian Basin, West Texas A&M and Texas A&M-International. The duo of Majestie Robinson and Jaz'Myne Snipes lead Regis with 13.4 and 12.3 points per game, respectively. On the glass it's Shelby Espinosa pulling down 9.1 points per game. As the #50 team in DII in three-point field goals attempted (201) and #39 in turnovers per game, Regis clearly likes living behind the arc and taking care of the ball.
BET YOU DIDN'T KNOW – RANGERS IN EXILE
In part, Regis University (formerly Regis College) was originally founded in Las Vegas, N.M. in 1877 by a group of exiled Italian Jesuits. The school later joined with Sacred Heart College in Morrison, Colo., to form what everyone now knows as Regis University in Denver. Who would've thought there was more than one RMAC school in Las Vegas, N.M.? Regis' athletic teams adopted the nickname Rangers which seems appropriate since they're defined as "a keeper of park, forest, or area of countryside," and Denver serves as a gateway to many such areas.
LOCKRIDGE ARENA
Fondly referred to as "The Lock", Mines' home court for volleyball, men's basketball and women's basketball features seating for 3,000 at Oredigger home athletics events. The venue has also twice hosted the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball South Central Regional Tournament. Additionally, Lockridge Arena hosts numerous major campus events and has been graced by the presence of Barack Obama, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Bill Nye and many others.
SERIES HISTORY
Mines is 33-23 in the all-time series against Colorado Christian and 22-52 all-time against Regis. Over the last two years, the Orediggers lead both series with a 3-1 advantage over CCU and a 3-2 advantage over the Rangers. In the 2017-18 season, Mines held the Cougars to just 44.4 points per game. However, the Rangers were responsible for ending the Orediggers' season in the quarterfinals of the RMAC Tournament. This weekend marks a chance for Mines to extend its winning streak against CCU and earn redemption against RU.
APPROACHING 100
In her seventh season at Mines, head coach
Brittany Simpson has 98 wins and 82 losses. Just two wins away from 100, Simpson has a chance to reach the landmark as an early holiday celebration. If Simpson is able to go 2-0 and hit the century mark, she would be just the second coach in Mines' history to do so. The only other Oredigger women's basketball skipper to reach the milestone was Simpson's predecessor
Paula Krueger. Odds appear to be in Mines' favor with a winning record against both teams the last two years and all three of its 2018-19 wins coming at home, inside Lockridge Arena.
CHASING 1,000
The senior duo of
Cassidy Budge and
Anna Kollmorgen are both within reach of 1,000-career points. With a combined 1,550 points, Budge boasts 800 for her career while Kollmorgen touts a total of 750. Based on previous seasons, both Orediggers are within reach of the 1,000-point mark but will need to be efficient in their scoring. Additionally, Budge currently ranks third all-time at Mines with 159 three-point baskets in her career. Kollmorgen sits #5 on Mines' all-time assists list with 267.
RMAC RUNDOWN
After two weekends of RMAC action, teams are starting to separate themselves in the standings. However, there is lots more basketball to play so not too much stock should be put in these early standings. Colorado Mesa, Westminster, Colorado Christian and CSU-Pueblo all sit atop the conference at 3-0. No. 18 Black Hills State, MSU Denver and UCCS are all over .500 at 2-1. Dixie State, Regis, Western, Fort Lewis, New Mexico Highlands and Adams State all boast a win in RMAC play at 1-2 while Mines, South Dakota Mines and Chadron State are all 0-3.
OREIDGGER LEADERS
Mines has three individuals averaging double digits in scoring. The trio is led by senior point guard
Anna Kollmorgen with 11.9 points per game. True freshman
Denali Pinto is pacing herself at 11.7 points per game and
Nicole Archambeau touts 10.1 points per contest. On the glass, it's also Archambeau leading the way with 7.7 boards per game. Pinto also leads the Orediggers with seven blocks, putting her over 1.0 blocks per game. Kollmorgen tops the lists in steals with 14 and assists with 24. From three-point land,
Cassidy Budge is shooting .500 with 11 made.
LOOKING AHEAD
Mines takes some time off for the holidays before hosting Westminster and Dixie State Jan. 4-5 inside Lockridge Arena. Live stats and video will be available at MinesAthletics.com.
