GOLDEN, Colo. - Dale Minschwaner scored a game-high 23 points and was one of four from No. 1-ranked and top-seeded Colorado School of Mines in double figures as the Orediggers beat eighth-seeded Augustana 82-69 in the opening round of the NCAA Central Region tournament Saturday evening.

CSM, which moves to 28-2, will play the winner of tonight's Southwest Minnesota State/MSU Moorhead game in the semifinals tomorrow.  Augustana finishes its season 17-11.

The Orediggers also got 16 points from Brian Muller, 11 from Luke Meisch and 10 from Trevor Ritchie.

Drae Murray scored 17 points for Augustana.  Cody Schilling added 15, and Cameron McCaffrey and Alex Richter each had 12.

The Orediggers held off a Viking squad that was within two points with 9:29 to play.

CSM's bench scored 30 points.  The Orediggers also made 28 free throws in the win.

Sparked by a Murray 3-pointer, Augustana used the first two minutes to jump out to a 7-0 lead.

It took CSM another three minutes to gain its first lead of the game.  Minschwaner's bucket at 15:19 gave the Orediggers an 11-9 advantage. They extended the difference to double figures by the 10-minute mark, leading 23-13.

Richter helped the Vikings nudge back in the ensuing two minutes, rattling off five straight points and giving his team a 24-20 deficit to work from with 8:13 to go before the break.

CSM connected at a 53.6 percent (15 of 28) clip in the first half to lead 42-32 at intermission.

McCaffrey had nine points to lead the Vikings.

Minschwaner had 17 by halftime.

Augustana opened the second frame on a 15-5 run and had the game tied at 47 with 14:03 to play.  Yuriy Malashenko's 3-pointer capped the drive and was one of three treys in the surge.

Meisch answered with a 3-pointer for CSM to break the tie; the Orediggers would lead the remainder of the game.

A bucket by Schilling with 9:29 left put the Vikings within two points at 54-52, but the Orediggers ripped of seven uncontested points in response.

CSM worked its advantage to 11 points with four minutes remaining and to 13 as the game closed.

The Viking prodded with 1:39 left when Schilling converted a three-point play to get his team within six points, but it was as close as Augustana would be down the stretch.

CSM bettered Augustana 42-37 on the glass.  The Orediggers hit just four 3-pointers, but they drew 27 fouls and made 38 trips to the charity stripe.

Augustana was making its 10th appearance in the NCAA tournament.  The Vikings' all-time postseason record is now 8-12.

It was the final game for seniors Schilling, Murray and Derrick De Zeeuw.