LAKELAND, Fla. | No. 15 Florida Memorial University fell for the first time all year, dropping a road contest 88-80 to Southeastern in the SUN Conference opener.

Despite leading by six points at the break, the Fire outscored the Lions 50-36 in the latter half.

FMU was led by Calvin Payton who finished with 27 points, draining 7-of-9 from downtown to go along with two steals while teammate Latavious Mitchell generated 16 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field. He also grabbed five boards while fellow Lion Terrin Hamilton added 11 points, nine rebounds, three assists and one steal in the loss.

Florida Memorial University returns to the court on Wednesday, November 20 as they host Warner in SUN Conference action. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. at the FMU Wellness Center.