Mobile, AL -- (Sports Network) - Jeremy Evans had 20 points and 14 rebounds as Western Kentucky beat Middle Tennessee, 67-57, to capture the Sun Belt Conference tournament championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

Tyrone Brazelton and Courtney Lee added 13 points apiece for the third-seeded Hilltoppers (27-6), who enter the Big Dance having won six in a row.

Desmond Yates scored 16 points and Demetrius Green added 12 for the fourth- seeded Blue Raiders (17-15), who had upset top-seeded South Alabama in the semi-final. Theryn Hudson donated 10 points for Middle Tennessee.

The Hilltoppers opened the second half with an 8-1 run. Lee's layup with just over 15 1/2 minutes left gave Western Kentucky a 42-32 lead.

Lee added a three-pointer just under eight minutes later pushing the Hilltoppers advantage to 55-41.

Yates' three-point play with just over four minutes remaining pulled the Blue Raiders within 59-51. Western Kentucky, though, was perfect from the foul line down the stretch to secure its sixth Sun Belt Conference tourney title.

Evans' layup with 3 1/2 minutes to go in the first half capped a 6-0 run and pulled the Hilltoppers within 28-27.

Moments later, two Evans free throws tied the game at 31 with just over a minute to go until the half. Orlando Mendez-Valdez's triple just before time expired gave Western Kentucky a 34-31 lead at the intermission.

Game Notes:

Evans, who shot 8-of-9 in the game, earned tournament MVP honors...The Hilltoppers outrebounded the Blue Raiders 38-30...Western Kentucky leads the series between the two schools 89-30...Attendance at the Mitchell Center in Mobile, Alabama was 5,234.