NEW YORK -- Brent Jones scored a career-high 31 points and helped power top-seeded St. Francis-Brooklyn past its arch-rival, No. 8 seed LIU Brooklyn 79-70 in a quarterfinal-round game in the Northeast Conference tournament Wednesday night.

The Terriers built a 13-point lead at the half, but LIU Brooklyn battled back to start the second half. The Blackbirds opened the period on a 20-9 run capped by a Martin Hermannsson jumper that cut the St. Francis lead to two, 44-42. Jalen Cannon answered with a three-point play and knocked down a jumper to spark an 11-2 run

Jones was 8 of 16 from the field, including 3 of 8 from beyond the arc, and converted 12 of 14 from the free throw line. Cannon finished with 15 points and grabbed 15 rebounds.

LIU Brooklyn got 18 points from Landon Atterberry.

St. Francis-Brooklyn (21-10) will play No. 5 seed St. Francis (Pa.) in a tournament semifinal Saturday.