GOLDEN, Colo. – Oredigger junior Liz Holter broke the Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball record for a assists in a single game on Saturday evening as Mines extended its winning streak to six with an 89-46 victory over New Mexico Highlands inside Lockridge Arena on "Rock the Lock" night.
 
Holter's final line featured a double-double with 13 points and 13 assists. She added five rebounds and four steals with just one turnover as well. The transfer's record-breaking performance led to numerous Orediggers also stuffing the stat sheet with a total of six individuals scoring in double digits. Atop the list was Denali Pinto dropping 19 points. Equally impressive was Sammy Van Sickle's 12-point, 18-rebound double-double. Heidi Hammond poured in 17 points while Ashley Steffeck and Courtney Stanton combined for 22. Additionally, Holter wasn't the only one dishing out assists. Steffeck racked up six and Van Sickle had five. Defensively, Steffeck put the icing on the cake by way of five steals.
 
The blueprint for the Orediggers' victory featured a shooting percentage of 48.5. Mines (14-6, 11-4 RMAC) fueled that mark by shooting nearly 47 percent from three-point range. The home team also hit 80 percent of its free throws. Defensively, Mines forced New Mexico Highlands (1-19, 0-15 RMAC) to commit 20 turnovers while the Orediggers racked up 15 steals. That pressure held the Cowgirls to 26 percent from the floor and 24 percent from long range. The visitor's lone bright spot came from nine three-pointers as a team and 18 points courtesy of Desiree Foster. Thanks to Regis' win over Western Colorado, Mines moves into a three-way tie for #3 in the RMAC standings. The Orediggers sit just one game out of second place and three outside of the top spot.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Despite temperatures approaching 70 degrees in Golden on Saturday, howling winds forced the cancellation of Oredigger softball's season opener while Mines baseball notched its second straight win and track & field put up numerous NCAA qualifying marks just blocks away inside Steinhauer Fieldhouse. That set the stage for the annual "Rock the Lock" night meant to pack the arena inside the Student Recreation Center. With fans pouring in for giveaways and great basketball, the Orediggers did not disappoint.
 
Within 67 seconds of the opening tipoff, the home team burst out to a 6-0 lead. Only one of those buckets featured an assist from Holter. New Mexcio Highlands responded with long range shooting and pulled within 10-8 at the halfway mark of the first quarter. However, two more Holter assists over the last five minutes found Hammond wide open for a pair of three-point baskets and a 16-8 lead after 10 minutes of play. But that wasn't all. From the opening frame into the second quarter, Mines put together a 23-5 run and boasted a 45-14 lead at the break.
 
The visitors emerged from the locker room after halftime determined to improve on their 14 first-half points. Not only did NMHU rack up 32 points in the second half, the visitors matched the Orediggers' scoring in the final quarter. However, it wouldn't be enough. At the 3:15 mark of the final frame, Holter dished the ball to Steffeck who hit a three-point basket. Not only did it tie the record for Holter, it also put Steffeck into double-digit scoring. Then, at 2:26, Holter found Pinto on the wing and the sophomore drained the long-range basket for an 89-41 advantage. The Oredigger staffed called a timeout and Holter was recognized for her accomplishments. As Mines' bench entered the game for quality minutes, NMHU bowed up and shut the home team out for the rest of the game. After 40 minutes of play, the score was never tied and the Orediggers never trailed.
 
COACH'S COMMENT
I'm really proud of our team and how well they played together," said Mines Head Coach Brittany Simpson. "I'm also really excited for Liz and her record-setting night."
 
NOTABLES
- Mines is now 31-34 in the all-time series against New Mexico Highlands and has won 10 straight against the Cowgirls.
- The Orediggers' 43-point win is their largest margin of victory over NMHU since the series began on Jan. 14, 1977.
- Mines' previous single-game assists record was 12, set by Debbie Gangloff in the 1986-87 season – over 30 years ago.
- Laura Tyree was the last Oredigger to produce double-digit assists in a single game. She did it twice in the 2014-15 season and happened to be in attendance Saturday evening for Mines' Alumni Night.
- Holter's 13 dimes put her over 70 on the season. The double-double was also the first of her career including two years at NCAA Division I Incarnate Word.
- Holter also notched seven assists on Friday night against CSU-Pueblo, giving her 20 on the weekend.
- Hammond's 17 points were a career high for the senior. She did it with a career-best five baskets from behind the arc.
- Van Sickle's 18 rebounds mark a career high for the sophomore from Arvada.
- Mines touts 10 double-digit wins in the 2019-20 season and four victories of 20 points, or more.
- Every active Oredigger saw action on Saturday night, marking the third straight game and fifth time that has happened this season.
- Six games is Mines' longest winning streak this season.
- Coach Simpson is 126-94 in eight years at the helm.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines starts a four-game road trip next weekend as it travels to Chadron State on Friday and MSU Denver on Saturday. Live stats and video of both games will be available at www.minesathletics.com.