MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. | The Florida Memorial Lady Lions dropped their first conference game of the season against St. Thomas by the score of 78-61 in the Battle of Miami Gardens at the FMU Wellness Center.

FMU got behind early as St. Thomas controlled the tempo, leading 23-9 at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, the Lady Bobcats capitalized on a slew of FMU turnovers and extended their lead to 44-21 at the break.

However, the Lady Lions (2-3, 0-1) picked up their intensity after a halftime speech from head coach Gregory Stanback. Florida Memorial generated a furious comeback, outscoring St. Thomas 25-14 in the third quarter.

Post-player Jasmine Worthy finished with a double-double, scoring 16 points and grabbing 11 rebounds for FMU while teammate Chantell Barnett added 10 points and grabbed six boards in the loss. Worthy made use of her opportunities, connecting on 6-of-8 from the charity stripe. As a team, the Lady Lions hit 19-of-29 (66 percent) free throws while St. Thomas went 23-of-29 (82 percent) from the line.

Overall, FMU dominated the glass, winning the rebound battle 36 to 28.

Shooting guard Aliyah Deen-Ahmad chipped in with six points, seven boards, three assists and one steal in 34 minutes while fellow Lady Lion Cherelle Washington added eight points on 3-of-5 shooting from the field.

The Lady Lions return to action on Thursday, November 17 as they host Warner at the FMU Wellness Center.