FORT MYERS, Fla. | No. 22 Florida Memorial nearly pulled off the upset before falling to NCAA DI opponent Florida Gulf Coast 78-75 in overtime in an exhibition contest at Alico Arena.

FMU led by two points with seconds remaining in the game before turning the ball over, allowing FGC a chance to tie the game with two free throws before time expired in regulation, forcing overtime.

In the extra period, FMU and FGC went back and forth until the Eagles buried the game winning three-pointer as time expired.

The Lions were led by Derrius Ward, who finished with a game-high 20 points, five assists, four rebounds and connected on 4-of-6 shots from beyond the arc while teammate Chanze Cruesoe produced a solid output with 16 points, eight rebounds and four assists in the narrow loss.

Florida Memorial returns to action on Tuesday, January 2 as they host Concordia (Quebec). Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. at the FMU Wellness Center.