HACKENSACK, N.J. (Interstat) — The Fairleigh Dickinson Knights, led by a dominant first-half performance and a sharp-shooting afternoon from beyond the arc, cruised to an 85-57 victory over the Maryland-Eastern Shore Hawks in a nonconference women’s basketball game Tuesday afternoon at Rothman Center.

The Knights improved to 9-4 overall, while the Hawks fell to 7-10.

The most important part of the game was the opening 20 minutes, where Fairleigh Dickinson established an insurmountable lead. The Knights outscored the Hawks 44-10 in the first half, holding Maryland-Eastern Shore to just six points in the first quarter and four in the second. The Hawks shot a frigid 4 of 27 from the field in the half and committed nine turnovers, which the Knights converted into 10 points.

Fairleigh Dickinson’s offense was efficient from the start, shooting 61.5% from the field in the first half, including 7 of 12 from three-point range. This set the tone for the game, as the Knights finished shooting 31 of 54 (57.4%) overall and a blistering 13 of 21 (61.9%) from three-point territory. The Hawks, conversely, struggled to find their rhythm, finishing 20 of 59 (33.9%) from the floor and 4 of 15 (26.7%) from deep.

Ava Renninger, a 5-foot-6 guard from Yardley, Pennsylvania, led all scorers with 19 points for Fairleigh Dickinson. She added five rebounds and three assists. She was supported by a balanced attack as Reese Downey of Galloway, New Jersey, scored 15 points, Kailee McDonald of Lowell, Massachusetts, added 13, and Madlena Gerke of Riga, Latvia, chipped in 11. The Knights shared the ball effectively, tallying 19 assists on their 31 made field goals.

Maryland-Eastern Shore’s offense awoke after halftime, scoring 21 points in the third quarter and 26 in the fourth, but the deficit was too large to overcome. Brianna Barnes, a 5-11 guard from the Bronx, New York, led the Hawks with 20 points. Kaliya Perry of Hampton, Virginia, contributed eight points and a game-high nine rebounds.

Fairleigh Dickinson’s defense was active throughout, recording nine steals and four blocks. The Knights also controlled the interior, outscoring the Hawks 34-20 in the paint. Both teams committed 14 turnovers.

The Knights entered the game with an 87.7% probability to win according to Interstat’s ELO system and validated that projection with a comprehensive performance. They bounced back from a 62-51 loss to Binghamton on Monday. The Hawks were playing their second game in as many nights, having lost 78-57 at Penn on Monday.

Fairleigh Dickinson next plays at Mercyhurst on Friday. Maryland-Eastern Shore returns home to host Morgan State on Saturday.