RAPID CITY, S.D. --- After a two-game slide, the South Dakota School of Mines women's basketball team got back to its winning ways this past weekend and took a split as Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action opened at the King Center in Rapid City, S.D.
 
After stumbling to MSU Denver on Friday (lost 70-58), the Hardrocker women bounced back Saturday afternoon to deliver a convincing defeat of the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, 65-38, which elevated SD Mines' record to 5-2 on the season and 1-1 in conference play.
 
The Hardrockers have suffered a little setback to their lineup as both starting post Marissa Hirchert and Emma Pearce are sidelined with injuries and SD Mines will be without their services for a period of time.
 
Despite the loss of two key contributors, SD Mines women's basketball head coach Ryan Larsen is preparing his squad for the long schedule ahead of them and feels his squad will be ready for the challenge.
 
"My focus right now is on what we need to do better. In a matter of days we've had to re-invent ourselves," Larsen said. "I'm really concentrating more on what we can do to get better with the new style of basketball we are going to play right now."
 
SD Mines has a trio of sophomores scoring in double digits each game in Cooper Courtney (11.6), Sami Steffeck (10.9) and Anna Haugen (10.0). Junior Taylor Molstad is providing 8.9 markers a night and senior Payton Humpal contributes with 7.0.
 
The Hardrockers continue to turn heads in the NCAA Div. II South Central Region as SD Mines ranked ninth in the weekly rating after receiving votes last week. In the conference standings, SD Mines ranks sixth.
 
Next on the schedules for the 'Rockers will be a weekend trip to the Denver, Colo., area where SD Mines will take on Colorado Christian Friday night in Lakewood, Colo., and then will challenge Colorado School of Mines Saturday in Golden, Colo.
 
Colorado Christian posts a 2-5 overall record and is 0-2 in the RMAC after dropping games to Regis University (85-48) and Chadron State College (80-69) last week. The Lady Cougars are currently 14^th in the RMAC standings.
 
"They have a really dynamic player in Alex Nelson who was a RMAC First Team All-Conference player from them a year ago – she's back with them this season," Larsen said. "She's scoring around 15 points a game. She's going to be one of those assignments that we have all five players on the floor have to know where she's at. We'll have to shut her down."
 
Nelson is the fourth leading scorer this season in the RMAC with 107 total points and averaging 15.3 markers a game. She is a 38 percent three-point shooter and has converted 37-46 from the free throw line. The 5-foot-10-inch junior is also second on the team in rebounding, pulling down five boards each time out.
 
Saturday, the Hardrockers will challenge Colorado School of Mines team (5-3 heading into the weekend). The Orediggers also enter play this weekend 2-0 in the RMAC after wins over Chadron State (77-71) and Regis University (82). Colorado School of Mines is currently fourth in the conference standings.
 
"They lost a couple players that were really good for them last year," Larsen said. "But they just bring in some new athletes and start playing good basketball again. They are competing really well right now."
 
For the 'Diggers, Nicole Archambeau and Emily Bailey are both averaging double figures each night. Archambeau scores 21 ppg while Bailey cashes in for 11.5 ppg.
 
Archambeau, a 5-10 junior guard/forward, also leads the conference in rebounding, colleting 10.9 rpg. ] Haugen is second in the RMAC in rebounding right behind her Colorado School of Mines counterpart averaging 9.7 boards a game. Both have recorded 87 rebounds on the year with Haugen playing in one more game.
 
Both Friday's and Saturday's games will be 5 p.m. (MST) starts and you can watch the game free and follow along with all the live stats by logging onto the RMAC Network at: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/sdsmt/ .