GOLDEN, Colo. — Rogers State women's basketball (2-4) fell to Colorado School of Mines (2-5), 79-73, at Lockridge Arena on Tuesday night.
Bailey Layman (16 points) and
Ataya Casaus (15 points) both set new career-highs in scoring.
Despite a dynamic third quarter where RSU outscored the Orediggers 27-21, the Hillcats could not overcome the early 10-point deficit. The Cats' forced 21 turnovers, converting them into 31 points, yet the Orediggers maintained their lead throughout the game with a 47-32 rebounding advantage.
The first quarter began with RSU struggling to find its rhythm offensively, as turnovers plagued its early possessions. Despite the setbacks, they managed to capitalize on second-chance opportunities, scoring six paint points, with
Destiny Jones contributing a crucial tip-in off an offensive rebound.
The Orediggers opened with strong perimeter shooting, connecting on five 3-pointers, and leveraging their defensive pressure to force turnovers, which translated into a fast-break layup. RSU faced a challenging end to the quarter, trailing 19–9.
RSU began the second quarter with a strategic push, narrowing the gap with key contributions from
Michelle Arens and Casaus, both draining shots from long range. The Hillcats capitalized on turnovers, converting them into points, and showcased effective ball movement, with assists from
Samantha Shanks and Arens facilitating crucial baskets. Despite RSU's efforts, the Orediggers responded by maintaining a narrow lead, thanks in part to consistent scoring in the paint. The quarter saw RSU trimming the deficit slightly, entering halftime trailing 37–28.
The third quarter commenced with a pivotal momentum shift as RSU capitalized on defensive plays, including a steal by Shanks, which resulted in two successful free throws cutting the deficit to 37–30. Layman connected on a 3-pointer, narrowing the gap further to 37–33. As the quarter progressed, the Hillcats continued to press offensively, with Layman contributing multiple points from the paint and the free-throw line, pulling the score to 41–47.
Destiny Jones added to the effort with a layup in transition, keeping the pressure on the Orediggers. Despite the Orediggers maintaining a lead, RSU responded with
Ella Hafer's layup and
Marcela Pinedo's 3-pointer, bringing the score to 53–58. In the closing seconds,
Jaiana Wiggins scored a fast-break layup, concluding the quarter with RSU trailing by a narrow margin of 58–55.
RSU began the fourth quarter with a quick jumper by Casaus, narrowing the gap to one point. A 3-pointer from
Kate Melton at 8:09 briefly put RSU ahead, 61–60. However, the Orediggers responded with a series of successful baskets, reclaiming and extending their lead. The Hillcats fought to keep pace, with Arens contributing a layup and Shanks adding a fast-break layup. Despite these efforts, the Orediggers maintained their edge, pulling ahead 70–65 midway through the quarter. In the closing minutes, Layman scored a layup and two free throws to tighten the score, but the Orediggers sealed the game with free throws in the final seconds. The quarter ended with RSU trailing 79–73.
Layman scored 16 points, converting all seven of her free-throw attempts. Casaus added 15 points, including two from beyond the arc, and tallied one block. Shanks was effective defensively, recording four steals and contributing five points. Wiggins added two blocks and collected six rebounds. Jenna Shandy led the Orediggers with 27 points, hitting 10 of 16 field goals, including five 3-pointers, and contributed four steals and two assists. Emma Sixta added 24 points, shooting 9 of 15 from the field, and made all four of her free throws while tallying four assists. Quincey Baum controlled the boards with 12 rebounds, including six offensive, and scored 11 points. Jade Leon supported with eight rebounds and four assists, adding two steals to the defensive effort.
RSU will return to the Claremore Expo Center on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. against Henderson State.
