KATY, Texas — The Sam Houston women's basketball team held off a late rally to punch its ticket to the Southland Conference Tournament championship game with a 79-77 victory over Southeastern Louisiana Saturday at the Merrell Center.
Senior Faith Cook drove the lane and laid a shot off the glass for the game winner with 12.1 seconds left after the Lions overcame an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit.
The third-seeded Bearkats (15-7) will face regular-season champion Stephen F. Austin (23-2) in the title game Sunday at 1 p.m. The winner will advance to the NCAA Tournament in San Antonio.
Cook and SLC Player of the Year Amber Leggett led Sam Houston with 23 points each. Junior Madelyn Batista added 14 points, and senior Courtney Cleveland chipped in 13.
The Bearkats appeared to take control of a close game in the second half.
Batista scored to open the third quarter to ignite an 8-2 run. Leggett and Cleveland both hit jumpers and just like that Sam Houston had its biggest lead up until that point at 48-41.
Sam Houston's biggest lead came at 63-52 when Cook knocked down a couple of free throws to begin the fourth quarter, but Southeastern Louisiana came storming back to tie the game.
The Lions led for most of the first half, but the Bearkats came alive in the third quarter.
Down 32-21, Leggett scored off an offensive rebound and converted a free throw for a 3-point play after she was fouled on the play at the 6:08 mark. Cook and Cleveland then scored a pair of laups to cut the lead to four.
Cleveland followed that up with two more layups to tie, and Cook hit a pair of 3-pointers down the stretch to cap a 19-7 and send Sam Houston into the half up 40-39.
Kats earn berth to SLC tourney title game
Senior Faith Cook drove the lane and laid a shot off the glass for the game winner with 12.1 seconds left after the Lions overcame an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit
