Colorado School of Mines wins NCAA tournament opener 74-62

The Colorado School of Mines men's basketball team won 74-62 against West Texas A&M in the NCAA Division II Tournament's opening round. This victory marks their first NCAA Tournament win since 2021. The Orediggers, seeded second, built a strong lead but faced a late challenge from the seventh-seeded Buffs. Key contributions came from Majok Deng, who scored 14 points, and Markus Pastorcic-Straun, who added 12 points. Mines excelled defensively, limiting West Texas A&M to 31.7% shooting and winning the rebounding battle 45-39. They will play sixth-seeded St. Mary's (Texas) in the regional semifinals on Sunday.