While last season marked the best in school history, the 2001-2002 Colorado School of Mines women's basketball season looks to be even better. Ninth year head coach Vic Doperalski's Lady 'Diggers went 13-14 in 2000-2001 while they pocketed a 10-9 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference standing.

The 2000-2001 season held many landmarks for the Lady 'Diggers. They set a school record for wins in a season with 13 and a school record for most RMAC wins in a season with 10. They pocketed winning records both in the conference and at home (7-3), and had the first RMAC tournament qualifying season since the divisions were established in 1995. The Orediggers finished the season ranked in the top five in the RMAC in four different categories. They finished first in blocked shots with 144, second in scoring defense as they allowed 60.3 points per game, second in field goal percentage defense as opponents shot only 37.8-percent, and fifth in RMAC steals with 274 as a team.

"I hope we have some more breakthroughs this season," Doperalski said. "Last year we won games at places where we've never won before. We're 25 years into women's basketball at Mines and we still haven't had a winning season. The object this year, is to continue to win."

Junior center Kim Good (6-5) led the Orediggers last season as she finished the season second in NCAA II with 122 blocks on the year (4.4 per game), while she set a new RMAC record and led the conference in rebounds with 235 total (8.7 per game). She tallied 12.6 points per game in the middle as she averaged 24 minutes per game, finishing the season First-Team All-RMAC East Division.

"We have built our team around Kim," Doperalski said. "She is obviously a potent weapon, but we also have strong perimeter players who will also make an impact this year. Opposing defenses are going to be geared to stop Kim, and others on our offense will have the opportunity to step up."

This year's perimeter players include three returning starters, nine returning letterwinners, and five scholarship freshmen. In the frontcourt, senior Marissa Eichhorn (5-8) returns after posting 11.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game as she finished second in scoring and rebounding last season as a junior. The Broomfield, Colo., native played in all 27 games last season, shooting .366 from the field and .739 from the foul-line.

Joining Eichhorn at the forward position are junior Karen Martin (5-9) and sophomore Cathy Sauter (5-11). Martin, whom Doperalski is looking to help fill the shoes of 2001 graduate Jenn Shmidt, played in all 27 games as a sophomore, racking-up 73 rebounds and 65 points while tallying 22 steals and a .769 shooting percentage from the foul-line. Newcomers Gina Cornelio (5-10, All-City, All-State, All-Region at Salpointe Catholic High School), Kristin Horkey (6-0, All-Conference Honorable Mention at Fort Collins High School), and Kim Kilmer (5-9, All-Conference, All-State, All-County, 2000 1A Player of the Year and State Tournament MVP at Prairie High School) also look to compete for time in the frontcourt in 2001-2002.

Good looks to lead in the center, as she was the 1999-2000 RMAC Freshman of the Year and a 2000-2001 All-RMAC First-Team selection. Sophomore Katie Cunio (6-0), who saw action in 22 games last year to tally 44 boards, seven blocks, and 40 points, and sophomore Bara Zahnasova (6-0), who used her rookie season to adjust to the American and collegiate world of basketball, both look to share time with Good in the middle.

In the backcourt, Doperalski has one returning starter and two returning letterwinners this season to lead the 'Digger guard corps. Senior Reece Bollinger (5-5) finished her junior year eighth in the RMAC with 61 steals and ninth in the conference with a 37.3-percent shooting percentage from behind the arc. She played in all 27 games, averaging six points per game and 2.74 assists per game. Also bringing experience to the guard slots are sophomores Jessica Neumiller (5-5) and Lizi Chorney (5-4). Neumiller finished second on the squad with a three-point shooting percentage of 32.9 while averaging 5.1 points and 1.11 steals per game as she played in 26 games. Chorney tallied 23 assists in 20 games as a rookie.

Newcomers Katie Gaudutis (5-6) and Heather Hoops (5-9, All-Conference, All-State at Wheat Ridge High School) look to compete early for playing time at the guard slots, while Horkey could see time there also.

As the 2001-2002 Lady Orediggers have been picked by the conference coaches to finish second in the Eastern Division, Doperalski thinks his team is up to the challenge. "I think that's a realistic goal," Doperalski said. "We've got the talent to challenge for a championship. We just need to keep getting better and continue to build a winning tradition here at Mines. We need to steadily improve throughout the entire season."