D-III basketball: St. Thomas women win, all 6 other state teams lose

Augustana (Ill.) shot 69 percent from the floor and scored 29 points off 17 turnovers in an 88-77 victory over St. Thomas to open the NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament Friday in Whitewater, Wis.

Ben Ryan scored 17 points to lead the Vikings (20-7), who hit 35 of 51 attempts from the floor.

The Tommies cut a 17-point deficit to 60-54 but got no closer in their first opening-game NCAA loss since 2010. Erik Tengwall scored 13 points in his final game for St. Thomas (23-5).

Central College 85, St. Olaf 72: Kevin Kaerwer scored 27 points and the hot-starting Dutch (21-7) beat the Oles (22-6) in Stevens Point, Wis. Central made 11 of its first 12 field-goal attempts.

Sterling Nielsen scored 26 points to lead St. Olaf.

Wisconsin-Whitewater 79, Northwestern (Roseville) 55: The host Warhawks (23-4) routed the Eagles (16-11). Steven Willey had 13 points for Northwestern.

St. Thomas 52, Loras 49: Kelly Brandenburg, Taylor Young and Maggie Weiers each scored 11 points and the host Tommies (23-4) held off the Duhawks (19-9), who missed a three-pointer at the buzzer.

Wisconsin-Oshkosh 71, St. Mary's 61: Sarah Stecker had 15 of her 17 points in the second half and added nine rebounds as the host Titans (24-4) ended the Cardinals' season at 25-3.

Wisconsin-Whitewater 79, Concordia (Moorhead) 72: Mary Merg had 16 points to lead five players in double figures for the Warhawks (23-4) vs. the Cobbers (21-6) in St. Paul.

Washington University (St. Louis) 64, Northwestern (Rose­ville) 47: The Bears (24-2), ranked fifth in Division III, pulled away from the Eagles (20-8) in Oshkosh, Wis.