NEW YORK (Interstat) — Fordham used a fast start and a dominant paint presence to defeat visiting Monroe 83-46 in a women’s NCAA Division I basketball game Sunday at Rose Hill Gym. The Rams, who are 3-0, won the non-divisional matchup in front of an announced attendance of 399.

Fordham opened the game with a 3-pointer from Lakresha Edwards and moved ahead 8-2 after layups by Anastasija Veljovic and Carryn Easley. Monroe answered with a pullup jumper and a jump shot from Hellary De Los Santos, then took a 9-8 lead on De Los Santos’s 3-pointer with 4:30 left in the first quarter. Fordham responded with a decisive run, getting a jumper from Ugne Sirtautaite, a 3-pointer from Olivia Kulyk, a 3-pointer from Easley, a layup from Ella Averill and a driving layup from Precious Omoshola to take control. The Rams led after the first quarter and kept building the advantage with a balanced offense and pressure that produced points in transition. Fordham scored 22 points in the first quarter, 23 in the second, 18 in the third and 20 in the fourth. Monroe scored 18 in the first quarter, eight in the second, 11 in the third and nine in the fourth.

Sirtautaite, a 6-foot-1 forward from Kaunas, Republic of Lithuania, led Fordham with 15 points and 13 rebounds in 19 minutes. She entered the game after recent performances of 24 points and 10 rebounds against St. Thomas Aquinas and 14 points and five rebounds against Niagara. Against Monroe, she made free throws and layups during the runs that helped the Rams separate. Easley, a 5-foot-5 guard, added 21 points, five rebounds and three assists in 25 minutes. Omoshola, a 6-foot-2 forward, had nine points and eight rebounds in 20 minutes. Kulyk, a 6-foot-1 guard, finished with 12 points, three rebounds and two blocks in 14 minutes. Averill, a 6-foot-1 guard, had 11 points, four rebounds and two assists in 19 minutes.

Edwards, a 6-foot guard, had 10 points, two rebounds and five assists in 30 minutes. Veljovic, a 5-foot-11 forward, contributed three points, eight rebounds and two assists in 16 minutes. Caitlyn Martin added two points, one rebound and four assists in 22 minutes. Khloe Moye had two rebounds in four minutes, and Joy Osigwe had one rebound in 12 minutes. Easley previously played at SS John Neumann/Maria Goretti, Kulyk previously played at Mercyhurst Preparatory School, Averill previously played at International School, Edwards and Veljovic previously played at Fort Erie, and Moye previously played at North Raleigh Christian Acad.

Fordham scored 83 points on 85 possessions and recorded an offensive rating of 97.5. The Rams had 10 offensive rebounds, five assists, two blocks and 19 turnovers. Monroe scored 12 points in the paint, while Fordham scored 38. Monroe had 16 points off turnovers, and Fordham had 12. Monroe’s total included nine points in the fourth quarter, when Fordham maintained its cushion and finished with layups from Averill and Omoshola.

Fordham’s decisive stretch came in the first quarter after Monroe briefly moved ahead. The Rams answered with the Kulyk and Easley 3-pointers and interior scoring from Sirtautaite and Omoshola, then extended the lead in the second quarter on Edwards’s 3-pointer, a layup by Martin and consecutive free throws and a layup from Sirtautaite. Fordham closed the first half with Sirtautaite’s layup and took a comfortable lead into halftime. The Rams then opened the third quarter with Edwards’s jumper and Sirtautaite’s free throws before Easley hit a 3-pointer and converted a layup as the margin grew. Kulyk added a 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter, and Fordham kept the advantage in the fourth on layups from Averill and Omoshola and a floating jumper from Easley.

In the second quarter, Edwards opened with a 3-pointer, and after Monroe free throws, Sirtautaite made free throws and Kulyk hit a floating jumper. Martin made a layup, Guzman answered with a layup, and Sirtautaite made two free throws. Davis hit a 3-pointer for Monroe, but Easley made two free throws, Kulyk made a layup, Easley made a floating jumper, and after Stewart’s floating jumper, Easley made a free throw. Davis hit another 3-pointer, Sirtautaite made two free throws and a layup, and Mayas made a layup before halftime. In the third quarter, Edwards made a jumper, Sirtautaite made two free throws and a layup, Omoshola made a free throw and a layup, Averill made two free throws, Easley made a 3-pointer and a layup, and Kulyk made two free throws and a 3-pointer. Monroe got a tip-in layup from Astou Diongue and a 3-pointer from Ty’Lah Washington in the third.

Monroe’s best moments came from Hellary De Los Santos, who hit a pullup jumper, a jump shot off a turnover and a 3-pointer in the first quarter, and from Vatijah Davis, who made two 3-pointers in the second quarter and added free throws in the third and fourth. Ty’Lah Washington made free throws and a 3-pointer in the third, and Yohangeli Guzman converted free throws throughout. Madison Mayas added a first-half free throw and a layup, while Alex Stewart hit a floating jumper in the second quarter. Astou Diongue made a tip-in layup in the third, Madison Adams made a layup in the fourth, and Maria Urena made free throws in the fourth. Monroe was unable to match Fordham’s paint production or keep the Rams off the offensive glass.

Fordham previously beat St. Thomas Aquinas 70-62 and Niagara 70-40 this season. The Rams next play at Bucknell and also have upcoming non-conference games at Manhattan, Campbell and Duke, along with home dates against Buffalo, Hofstra, Davidson, Central Connecticut and Colgate and a trip to Delaware State.

No point spread, betting line, over-under or game-simulator projection was available for the game.