KATY, Texas (AP) – Shamir Davis scored 19 points, DeQuan Hicks added 13 points and made the last-second steal that clinched Northwestern State’s 68-66 win over Stephen F. Austin in the Southland Conference championship game on Saturday night.

The Demons (23-8) earned their first automatic NCAA tournament berth since 2006 and the third overall. Davis was named the tournament’s most valuable player.

Desmond Haymon scored 23 points and Taylor Smith had 16 points and 14 rebounds for Stephen F. Austin (27-4).

The Demons were the nation’s highest scoring team in the regular season (82.4 points per game) and Stephen F. Austin boasted the nation’s top scoring defense (50.2 points per game). Fittingly, the game came down to the final seconds.

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