GOLDEN, Colo. – The Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team took down Dixie State 86-81 Saturday night thanks to 64 combined points from the trio of Denali Pinto, Nicole Archambeau and Raven Herrera as the Orediggers earned their first win of 2019.
 
Pinto led the charge with a career-high 24 points. Archambeau and Herrera each scored 20, and Archambeau added 11 rebounds to make it a double-double. Herrera was stellar on defense as well with six steals and one block. Anna Kollmorgen and Archambeau teamed up for a total of nine assists while Kollmorgen also contributed five steals.
 
As a team, Mines (6-6, 3-4 RMAC) racked up 15 steals and forced Dixie State (6-5, 2-5 RMAC) to commit 21 turnovers. The Orediggers also shot 64.3 percent from three-point range which is their highest single-game, long-range percentage in more than a decade. Other notable numbers include a 20-11 advantage in points off turnovers and a 23-8 margin in second-chance points, both in Mines' favor. The victory brings the Orediggers back to .500 on the season and into a tie for ninth place in the RMAC standings. Keslee Stevenson led Dixie State with 22 points and five of the Trailblazers' 13 three-pointers.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Despite the dominance of Pinto, Archambeau and Herrera, the game was a nail-biter from beginning to end, featuring 11 ties and eight lead changes. Herrera served as the tip of the spear for Mines as she owned the first two quarters. The redshirt sophomore dropped 11 points in the opening period and finished the half with 13 points, five rebounds and three steals.
 
However, Dixie State entered the game as the #23 team in the nation in three-point field goals per game, and the Trailblazers lived up to the hype. The visiting team drained six shots from long range while shooting 43 percent from the field to take a 37-32 lead into halftime.
 
Mines came out of the break on fire as the Orediggers went on 10-2 run to start the third quarter. Archambeau scored six of those 10 points on two three-pointers, and she was only getting started. For the second straight night, Archambeau completely took over the third quarter, dropping 12 points including a half-court shot at the buzzer to give Mines a 58-55 lead.
 
The Orediggers' 26-18 advantage in the third period combined with Archambeau's buzzer beater appeared to be all the momentum Mines would need, but Dixie State wasn't done yet. The Trailblazers would give Mines all it could handle in the final period, but Pinto rose to the occasion for the Orediggers.
 
In the fourth quarter, Pinto opened the scoring with a free throw at 9:36 to make it 59-55, Mines. Dixie State drained five three-pointers in the fourth quarter and hit its first just 76 seconds in to pull back within one. A Kollmorgen trey and a DSU layup kept the home team ahead, 62-60. Then, Pinto exploded.
 
The true freshman from Boulder proceeded to score 14 of Mines' last 24 points over the final seven minutes. Dixie State took the lead 70-68 and 72-70, but could not find an answer for Pinto. She rattled off seven unanswered points to tie the game at 72 and push the Orediggers to a 78-72 advantage. The Trailblazers sank three long-range shots in the final 40 seconds, but it was too little too late. Pinto and Archambeau teamed up to seal the victory, going a combined 6-for-6 from the free-throw line in the final 30 seconds.
 
NOTABLES
- Mines is 1-0 in the all-time series against Dixie State.
- The Orediggers' 15 steals are tied for the most in a single-game dating back to 2008.
- Pinto has led Mines in scoring five times this season – as a true freshman.
- Herrera's six steals against DSU are the most in a game since Laura Tyree swiped seven against CSU-Pueblo on Jan. 22, 2016.
- Archambeau's double-double is her second of the season and 13th of her career.
- Herrera finished the weekend averaging 18 points, seven rebounds and 3.5 steals per game.
- Heidi Hammond scored the 200th point of her career Saturday night against Dixie State.
- Saturday marked the third five-steal game of Kollmorgen's career.
- Mines has surpassed 80 points in three games this season.
- Five different Orediggers recorded a block against the Trailblazers.
- Head coach Brittany Simpson is 101-83 in seven years at the helm.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines heads to Alamosa and Durango Jan. 11-12 to face Adams State and Fort Lewis. 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.