Just as they have for the past several years, the Colorado School of Mines senior basketball players put their blood, sweat and tears into their final home games.
Literally.
The Orediggers closed out their 2023-24 regular seasons at home March 1-2 against Adams State and Fort Lewis.
The women’s team lost its Senior Night game to Adams State 82-63, but took down Fort Lewis 89-82 the following night. Meanwhile, the men’s team blew out Adams State 93-68 on Senior Night, and then toppled No. 2 Fort Lewis 70-65 in a nailbiter finish.
Both the men’s and women’s teams were slated to play their first-round RMAC tournament games March 5 against Regis and UCCS, respectively. Afterward, they’ll set their sights on the NCAA Division II tournament, as the brackets will be announced March 10.
With the regular season behind them, the seniors hoped to make deep runs in both tournaments and extend their final season at Mines as long as possible.
Senior guard Ashley Steff*ck added: “I’m ready for the madness.”
Shifting into third gear…
It’s been a long five years, as far as they can see. The three departing seniors on the women’s basketball team could use a vacation, but first they’ve got to take care of their Mines family.
Steff*ck, center Shelby Nichols and guard Loralee Stock all started at Mines in fall 2019. They were roommates in the dorms their freshman year, so they “got really comfortable really fast,” Steff*ck said.
All three ended up using their COVID-19 eligibility to stay a fifth year, so they’re all graduating together in May.
Steff*ck and Nichols are completing master’s degrees in engineering and technology management, and Stock is finishing a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.
All three have accepted jobs in the Denver area, and plan to stay in touch and visit Golden to cheer on the Orediggers. They’re also considering joining a Mines alumni recreational team called the Leaky Buckets.
“It feels like it’s gone by in the blink of an eye,” Nichols said of her college career. “I feel super-blessed to have the greatest team, coaches and support system here.”
Nichols said she’ll continue to be Steff*ck and Stock’s biggest fan, describing Stock as “an absolute menace on the court” and saying Steff*ck is one of the greatest players in Mines history. She was thankful to play with them all five years.
Stock, likewise, praised her friends and teammates. She believed Nichols and Steff*ck had seen her through “a lot of different phases of myself,” as she tried to figure out who she was and who she wanted to be around.
“I really appreciate them accepting me into their world,” she said.
After all the ups and downs they’ve experienced during their time at Mines, Steff*ck said there was no one better she could’ve shared it with. She and Stock expressed how much they care about their teammates, with Steff*ck adding, “I can’t wait to see what they all do. They’ll always have my support.”
‘Be where your feet are’
The bond among the seniors on the men’s team had a similar strength, although it was forged very differently.
On Senior Night, the Orediggers celebrated fourth-year senior Taylor Spurlock and Sam Beskind, a graduate transfer from Stanford who joined Mines last season.
Spurlock, who’s from southeastern Kentucky, said Mines recruited him after his brother sent the coaches his film. He knew he wanted to study engineering, so he was locked in after he heard about Mines’ academic reputation.
Spurlock, who joined in fall 2020, was grateful for his four years with the Orediggers. He appreciated all the support from his coaches, teammates and family members, saying, “It’s been a long four years academically and athletically. Nights like these make you appreciate it all.”
Beskind was likewise grateful for everyone’s support on Senior Night. Although he also had a Senior Night at Stanford two years ago, he said the March 1 celebration “was the real deal.” He’s now used all his eligibility from redshirting and COVID-19.
Beskind, who’s graduating this May with a master’s degree in advanced engineering systems, said he’s interested in climate technology and even hosts a podcast on the topic.
He’s unsure of his post-graduation plans. He might end up finding a job at home in Arizona, or staying in Colorado long-term as he now has a strong support system here. The only thing he was sure of was spending quality time with his family after six years in college.
For Spurlock, after he graduates with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, he plans to find a job locally. He said he might move back to Kentucky in the future.
He and Beskind described how, while they’ve only played together for two years, they’ve forged a strong bond with each other and with their fellow Orediggers.
“I wouldn’t want to go out with any other group of guys,” Spurlock said of his teammates. “I love them, and I love the coaches. It’s just been awesome.”
Beskind added: “I couldn’t ask for better friends or better teammates. … These are guys I’ll keep in touch with for the rest of my life.”
All five seniors said they still have work to do, wanting to extend their seasons — and thus time with their respective teams — as long as possible.
Beskind shared some wisdom from his Stanford coaches to “be where your feet are,” which he said he’s tried to be practice more and more as his college basketball career draws to a close.
“That’s what I was trying to do tonight,” he said of the Senior Night game. “Don’t worry about tomorrow or worry about yesterday. Just really stick my feet in the ground and soak up this moment as much as I can.”
Click through additional photos of the March 1 Senior Night games here:
