Cannon leads St. Francis past Sacred Heart, 73-71

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (AP) Jalen Cannon scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as St. Francis Brooklyn overcame a 10-point halftime deficit to beat Sacred Heart 73-71 in the Northeast Conference opener for both schools Saturday.

Jordan Allen converted a three-point play with 2:31 left in the first half to give Sacred Heart a 42-24 advantage. The Terriers (7-7, 1-0 Northeast) closed the half on an 8-0 run.

Sacred Heart (6-8, 0-1) pushed the lead back to 12 points with 16:30 left, but the Terriers battled back to take the lead, 63-62, on two free throws by Tyreek Jewell with 4:49 left.

Evan Kelley's jumper with 3:03 to go gave Sacred Heart a 67-65 lead, but Jalen Cannon answered with a 3-pointer. The Pioneers regained the lead on two free throws by Tevin Falzon. Brent Jones' layup with :28 left gave the Terriers the lead for good, 72-71.

Kelly's 18 points led Sacred Heart.