NEW YORK (Interstat) — Niagara and Fordham will meet in a women’s NCAA Division I basketball game Monday at Rose Hill Gym in New York. The matchup features the visiting Purple Eagles and the home Rams, both opening the season at 0-0. Fordham will look to defend its home court, while Niagara seeks a road win in its first outing.

Niagara enters after a 60-44 loss at Merrimack on Feb. 28. The Purple Eagles will try to reset from that result and establish momentum in their opener. Fordham most recently fell 68-60 at Saint Louis on March 4. The Rams will aim to use home familiarity at Rose Hill Gym to start the campaign on a stronger note.

Monday’s contest is the first of a busy early-season stretch for both programs. Niagara’s schedule continues with New Hampshire at home on Nov. 8, followed by home games against Stony Brook on Nov. 11 and Sacramento State on Nov. 14. The Purple Eagles then travel to Michigan on Nov. 18 before returning home to face Le Moyne on Nov. 21. Niagara also has a road game at Duquesne on Nov. 24, home dates with Monroe on Nov. 29 and Cornell on Dec. 2, and a road game at Mercyhurst on Dec. 6. The Purple Eagles close the listed stretch at Mount Saint Mary’s on Dec. 19.

Fordham opens its schedule with Monroe at home on Nov. 8. The Rams then play at Bucknell on Nov. 11 and at Manhattan on Nov. 15 before visiting Campbell on Nov. 17 and Duke on Nov. 19. Fordham returns home to host Buffalo on Nov. 22 and Hofstra on Nov. 29. The Rams open December with Davidson at home on Dec. 2 and Central Connecticut at home on Dec. 5 before traveling to Delaware State on Dec. 8.

The early matchup offers both teams a chance to set a tone before their nonconference schedules accelerate. Fordham will lean on home surroundings at Rose Hill Gym, while Niagara will seek a productive road performance as it begins a stretch that includes several games away from home. The Rams and Purple Eagles will each be seeking their first victory of the young season. Both teams will use the opener as an early measuring point before their nonconference schedules continue. The Purple Eagles and Rams have several road tests ahead, making a strong start valuable as each program builds toward conference play.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a final score of Fordham 64, Niagara 50. Interstat’s ELO system gives Fordham an 85.1 percent probability to win.