RAPID CITY, S.D. – The South Dakota Mines women's basketball team will conclude its three-game road series this weekend with a pair of Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference games in Colorado.

The Hardrockers will be at MSU Denver Friday, Feb. 9 at 5 p.m. in Denver, Colo., before taking on Colorado School of Mines Saturday, Feb. 10 at 4:30 p.m. in Golden, Colo. The Hardrockers will look to break a two-game losing skid, including close losses last week against rivals Black Hills State 71-68 at home and Chadron State College 70-67 in Chadron, Neb. South Dakota Mines is 5-9 in RMAC play.

MSU Denver
Date/Time: Feb. 9 / 5 p.m. MT
Site: Denver, Colo.
Arena: Auraria Event Center.
Series Overall: MSU Denver leads 11-6.                                                                                                             
Streak: South Dakota Mines Won 1.
Series at MSU Denver: MSU Denver leads 7-1.
Streak at MSU Denver: MSU Denver Won 3.
Last Meeting: South Dakota Mines won 63-62 in Rapid City, S.D. (12/9/23).
Watch Live: RMAC Network | www.rmacnetwork.com/sdmines

Colorado School of Mines
Date/Time: Feb. 10 / 4:30 p.m. MT
Site: Golden, Colo.
Arena: Lockridge Arena.
Series Overall: Colo. Mines leads 12-6.                                                                                                            
Streak: Colorado Mines Won 7.
Series at MSU Denver: Colorado Mines leads 6-3.
Streak at MSU Denver: Colorado Mines Won 3.
Last Meeting: Colorado Mines won 81-67 in Rapid City, S.D. (12/8/23).
Watch Live: RMAC Network | www.rmacnetwork.com/sdmines

PIPER KEEPS MOVING UP IN THE RANKINGS
After her 25 points against Chadron State, junior Piper Bauer continues to lead the team in scoring at 17.3 points a game, which is sixth in the conference. She is shooting .417 (126-of-302) from the field, ninth best in the conference and she is hitting 68-of-163 3-pointers, also for a .417 percentage, which is third in the RMAC. Her 68 3-pointers rank her first in the conference and third in the country and her 163 attempts are 10h in the nation. She is averaging 3.4 3-point goals per game, which is first in the RMAC and is third in the country. Bauer's 68 3-pointers this season gives her 223 in her career, good for third place all-time for the school. Current South Dakota Mines assistant Ryan Weiss leads at 276, with Sami Steffeck second at 251.

MANSFIELD SCORING IN DOUBLE FIGURES
Sophomore Savea Mansfield has scored in double figures in six straight games, including 19 points in the loss to Black Hills State and 15 in the loss to Chadron State. Mansfield, a 5-foot-11 sophomore, is averaging 13.5 points a game in that span and she is averaging 10.2 points a game for the season.

SECOND-CHANCE OPPORTUNTIES
The Hardrockers finished with 16 offensive rebounds against Chadron State Saturday for 16 second-chance points and are currently seventh in the RMAC with 216 offensive boards, averaging 10.8 per game. Against the Eagles, Mansfield had six offensive rebounds and leads the team with 34, while senior Naomi Hidalgo added four offensive boards and has 28 on the season. Senior Madelyn Heiser has 29 offensive rebounds and freshman Morning Grace Spotted Bear has 28.

HIDALGO COMING ON STRONG
Hidalgo had just six points against Chadron State but is still averaging in double figures in her last eight games at 10.0 per game. Hidalgo is 17-of-32 from the field in her last three games, 6-of-6 from the free-throw line and has grabbed 22 rebounds. She is averaging 6.7 points and 4.1 rebounds a game for the season.

CRASHING THE GLASS
Spotted Bear is still among the top rebounders in the conference, averaging 6.3 rebounds a game, good for 12^th place in the RMAC. In her last eight games she is averaging 8.0 rebounds a game. For the season, she is third on the team in scoring at 6.9 points a game.

WELL CONDITIONED
Bauer has sat for only six minutes in her last eight games, including playing every minute in five of them, including 45 minutes in the overtime game against Fort Lewis Jan. 5. She has been on the court for 737 minutes in 20 games, an average of 36.9 minutes per game, which ranks her first in the conference and 14th in the country.

SCOUTING MSU DENVER
The Roadrunners, 5-14 overall and are a game behind Hardrockers in the conference standings at 4-10, but are coming off of two big road wins last weekend, edging Adams State 86-82 in overtime in Alamosa, Colo., and Fort Lewis 61-55 in Durango, Colo. Earlier this season, South Dakota Mines nipped MSU Denver 63-62 at the King Center. The Hardrockers were led by Madelyn Heiser with 19 points, Savea Mansfield with 12 points and Piper Bauer with 11. Before the two wins last weekend, the Roadrunners had dropped five straight games and 10 of their previous 11.

Mikylah Espinosa continues to lead the way for the Roadrunners, averaging 14.0 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. Brianna Sealy is scoring 8.8 points a game and leads the team in rebounding at 7.1 boards per contest. Ashlyn Yow is scoring 7.1 points a game, followed by Tosjanae Bonds at 6.8 points and 4.4 rebounds an outing. Mariana Silva Pereir is scoring 6.0 points a game and leads the team in assists at 2.21 per game. As a team, MSU Denver is scoring 55.9 points a game, giving up 64.7 per game.

SCOUTING COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES
The Orediggers are leading the conference at 13-2 and standing 18-3 on the season. In the latest national polls, Colorado Mines is ranked 15^th in the national coaches' poll and 14^th in the D2CSC poll. The Orediggers are coming off a tough 69-68 road loss to Adams State. Previously Colorado Mines had won four straight and 16 of 17, including an 81-62 win at Fort Lewis last Friday. Earlier in the season, Colorado Mines downed the Hardrockers 81-67 at the King Center. Heiser paced the Hardrockers with 15 points, followed by Naomi Hidalgo with 14 and Lauren Herman with 12.

The Orediggers are led by senior Ashley Steffeck, who is third in the RMAC is scoring at 19.0 points a game and 6.8 rebounds per contest. She is also averaging 3.8 assists a game, fifth in the league. Jenna Siebert is scoring 11.6 points a game and 4.1 rebounds, while Sturgis native Loralee Stock is scoring 7.6 points a game. Shelby Nichols is averaging 7.3 points and 5.3 rebounds a game. Colorado Mines is averaging 73.8 points a game, third in the RMAC and are giving up 66.6 points a game.

UP NEXT
The Hardrockers home for a pair of weekend contests, Friday, Feb. 16 against Regis University beginning at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 17 against Colorado Colorado Springs, beginning at 4 p.m.
Fans can find the latest on South Dakota Mines women's basketball all year long on X and Instagram (@hardrockerwbb), while also following on Facebook at South Dakota Mines Women's Basketball. The latest on South Dakota Mines athletics can be found by following us on X at @GoHardrockers, hardrockerathletics on Instagram and Hardrocker Athletics on Facebook.

ABOUT SOUTH DAKOTA MINES
South Dakota Mines is a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) and NCAA Division II offering 13 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletic programs. The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference is a premier NCAA Division II conference with 15 members, as well as four associate members, located in the states of California, Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Utah.