<p>KATY, Texas — Aaliyah Johnson had 16 points and eight rebounds, Zya Nugent added 13 points and six boards, and top-seeded Stephen F. Austin beat Sam Houston State 56-45 on Sunday in the Southland Conference championship to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006.</p>
<p>Stephen F. Austin (24-2) won its 19th straight games to claim its 16th Southland title, while denying Sam Houston State, and player of the year Amber Leggett, their first championship.</p>
<p>Freshman Avery Brittingham’s steal and fast-break layup highlighted Stephen F. Austin’s 10-2 run, spanning the third-quarter break, for a 45-34 lead.</p>
<p>Johnson assisted on Nugent’s corner 3-pointer — getting a friendly roll — for a 50-43 lead with 1:28 left, and Johnson converted an up-and-under move at 37.8 to regain a seven-point lead and seal it.</p>
<p>Sam Houston State turned it over 12 times in the second half, 17 in total, and only had 10 field-goal attempts through 14 second-half minutes.</p>
<p>Brittingham finished with eight points for SFA, which has only lost to Arizona State and Houston this season by a combined 11 points. The Ladyjacks edged Central Arkansas in the semifinals, aided by Nugent’s 3-pointer with 20 seconds left for a six-point lead.</p>
<p>Leggett, who entered with 59 points in two tournament games, scored 14 points for Sam Houston State (15-8). Faith Cook added 11 points on 3-of-15 shooting. The Bearkats held a 17-7 advantage on the offensive boards.</p>
<p>It was SFA’s final game in the Southland after announcing, earlier this year, it will join the Western Athletic Conference for the 2021-2022 season. </p>
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<p>More AP college basketball: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball">https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/AP_Top25">https://twitter.com/AP_Top25</a> </p>
