LAKE CHARLES, La. – Top-seeded Stephen F. Austin erased a halftime deficit and survived a thriller Tuesday night, as Southland Player of the Year Keon Thompson delivered the decisive play in the final seconds to lift the Lumberjacks to a 60–58 victory over Texas A&M–Corpus Christi and into the Southland Conference Championship Game.

SFA advances to the title game for the first time since 2018 and will face the winner of No. 2 McNeese and No. 3 UTRGV at 4 p.m. Wednesday on ESPN2.

A&M-Corpus Christi controlled much of the first half behind a scorching offensive start. The Islanders shot nearly 70 percent from the field early and built a lead that stretched to nine points, eventually taking a 39–32 advantage into halftime while dictating the tempo.

The Lumberjacks flipped the momentum after the break.

SFA opened the second half with a defensive surge, forcing turnovers and attacking the paint to slowly erase the deficit. A 12–2 run midway through the half helped the Lumberjacks take their first sustained lead of the night as the game tightened into a possession-by-possession battle down the stretch.

A&M-Corpus Christi answered every push.

With under two minutes remaining, Nicholas Shogbonyo drilled a clutch three-pointer to tie the game at 58–58, setting up a dramatic finish.

That’s when Keon Thompson delivered.

With seconds remaining, Thompson jumped a passing lane, snatching a steal and racing the other way for the go-ahead layup with 12 seconds left, giving SFA the lead for good and igniting the Lumberjack bench. The Islanders had one final chance, but SFA’s defense forced a contested look as time expired to seal the win.

Thompson led the Lumberjacks with 24 points, six rebounds, five assists, and three steals, scoring 16 of his points in the second half to fuel the comeback.

Lateef Patrick Jr. added 13 points, while Chrishawn Christmas chipped in key baskets during SFA’s second-half rally.

A&M-Corpus Christi was led by D.A. Houston with 16 points and Nicholas Shogbonyo with 15, as the Islanders knocked down seven three-pointers and pushed the top seed to the brink.