LAS VEGAS — Remi Barry scored 21 points and Tshilidzi Nephawe added 18 and 10 rebounds as New Mexico State defeated Seattle 80-61 Saturday night to win the Western Athletic Conference Tournament and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The Aggies (23-10) shot 52 percent in winning the tournament championship for the fourth consecutive season.

Nephawe, a 6-foot-10 senior from South Africa, was named the tournament MVP.

Jadon Cohee led Seattle (16-15) with 16 points and William Powell had 14. Guard Isiah Umipig, who scored 30 in a semifinal win over Missouri-Kansas City on Friday, was held to 13 points on 2-of-7 shooting.

The Aggies’ big men controlled the boards in the opening half and limited Seattle’s offense to one shot on each possession, two big reasons they led 33-22 at intermission.

The Redhawks had just one offensive rebound and no second-chance points in the first half, and New Mexico State’s hot shooting allowed it to pull in front by 13 at the midway point.

Defensively, the Aggies pressured Seattle with a zone that forced eight turnovers. Umipig, who led the WAC in 3-point baskets and was his team’s leading scorer, had only one long-distance basket for three points.

TIP-INS

The Seahawks were attempting to advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1969. They played in Division II from 2002 to 2008, then returned to Division I in 2009 as an independent and joined the WAC in 2013 … The Aggies took a 12-game winning streak into the final, the third longest current streak in Division I.

NEXT UP

New Mexico State: NCAA Tournament.