Celen leads St. Francis (BKN) past Delaware State 81-62

NEW YORK (AP) — Deniz Celen scored a career-high 27 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as St. Francis (Brooklyn) got past Delaware State 81-62 on Sunday.

Celen sank 11 of 17 shots from the floor in notching his second double-double of the season for the Terriers (6-6). Rob Higgins came off the bench to score 17 with three steals as St. Francis earned its fifth straight victory at home. Unique McLean added 16 points and six rebounds, while Chauncey Hawkins had 14 points and four assists.

St. Francis trailed by four points at halftime before outscoring the Hornets (1-12) 49-26 in the second half. Delaware State’s 26 second-half points marked a season low for the team.

John Crosby hit five 3-pointers and scored 23 with seven rebounds for the Hornets, whose losing streak stretched to five games. Ameer Bennett added 14 points and six boards.

St. Francis forced 20 turnovers while committing only 10. The Terriers sank 18 of 23 free throws, while Delaware State made 8 of 13.