SAN DIEGO -- Nadja Morgan scored 22 points and Pepperdine made 9-of-12 free throws in the final 38.7 seconds to defeat Santa Clara 81-77 in the West Coast Conference tournament championship game Sunday.

Pepperdine (23-7 overall), the tournament's top seed, came back from a 9-point second-half deficit to earn an automatic NCAA berth, their second in school history.

Pepperdine used three 3-pointers from tournament MVP Damaris Hinojosa to tie the game 64-64. Sarah Richen hit from 3-point range to give Pepperdine the lead for good, 69-66, with 2:46 remaining despite Santa Clara getting eight points in 9.1 seconds from Becki Ashbaugh.

Ashbaugh hit a 3-pointer with 12.3 seconds left to cut the lead, 75-72. After Pepperdine hit two free throws, Ashbaugh sank two of her own with 10.2 seconds remaining.

Pepperdine's Shannon Mayberry made one free throw before Ashbaugh banked a 27-foot 3-pointer with 3.2 seconds left, slicing the lead to 78-77.

Pepperdine followed with 3-of-4 free throws, including two by Morgan.

Ashbaugh finished with 20 points. Tammy Annas added 15 and Kendra Rhea had 10 points and 11 rebounds for tournament No. 2 seed Santa Clara (21-9).

Morgan added 13 rebounds for Pepperdine while Shandrika Lee scored 15 points and Hinojosa added 12 points, all on 3-pointers.