MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. | Florida Memorial battled for 39 minutes before pulling away in the final minute of a thrilling contest, resulting in a 84-78 victory over Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) at the FMU Wellness Center. The win marks the seventh straight victory for the Lions, who improve to 9-3 overall.

The entire game proved to be a back-and-forth contest as both teams executed on the offense end. However, FMU's defensive presence in the final stretch of the second half was enough to keep the Lions' win streak in tact. As a team, FMU scored 31 points off of 19 Cougars turnovers.

FMU's Tianna Ayulo had a monster game, scoring a season-high 28 points on 12-of-18 shooting from the field, including nine boards, three assists and two steals while Mount Vernon's Maggie Coe finished with a team-high 26 points, six boards, five assists and two steals in the loss.

Nyah Johnson was excellent on both ends of the floor as she scored 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field while teammate Jasmine Worthy dominated the post, scoring 12 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the victory.

FMU guard Aliyah-Deen Ahmad added in with nine points, seven rebounds and four assists while fellow Lion Chantel Barnett chipped in with nine points, five steals, three boards and two assists.

The Lions return to action on Thursday, December 29 as they face Campbellsville in the St. Thomas Holiday Classic in Miami Gardens.