Talk about a fast start to open a game.

Monday evening’s game between FCIAC basketball foes Greenwich High School and Westhill saw the Cardinals score the matchup’s first 19 points. The quick start enabled Greenwich to play from in front throughout in earning a decisive 57-46 win over host Westhill.

With the victory, Greenwich improved its overall record to 7-12 with one game remaining in the regular season. The Cardinals visit Fairfield Warde on Wednesday, then will be off until March 1, when they host Fairfield Prep in the qualifying round of the CIAC Division I Tournament.

In Monday’s triumph against the Vikings, senior point guard Connor Parks scored a game-high 23 points to pace the Cardinals. Parkes scored 15 first-half points and converted four 3-pointers for the game. Greenwich held leads of 19-0 and 23-4 in the first quarter. The visitors concluded the opening quarter ahead, 23-4.

“We started out doing the things we wanted to do,” Greenwich coach Todd Trimmer said. “We ran our offense, we got easy baskets and played good defense. We forced them to call two timeouts, everything was humming.”

Westhill (3-16) settled down in the second quarter and got back into the game. After GHS senior guard/co-captain Jonathan Brennan converted a layup off the press-breaker, making it 25-10 in favor of the Cards, the Vikings went on a 12-0 run to close to within 25-22.

A layup by sophomore Daquan Turner, following a GHS basketball, cut the Cardinals’ lead to 27-22. However, Greenwich ended the first half with five straight points to enter halftime with a 32-22 advantage. Layups by Parkes and junior guard Blake Martin gave the visitors a 10-point halftime lead.

“The second quarter, they were knocking down some shots, which was giving them confidence,” Trimmer said of Westhill. “They’re a young team. We came out in the second half and we tried to get back into what was working.”

Martin scored nine points, including a 3-pointer and sophomore center/forward Michael Golden had six points in the winning effort.

Junior guard Guy Germain had five points, while Jonathan Brennan and junior guard Matt Maloney added four points apiece for GHS, which received points from nine players.

KJ Rojas, a junior and Juan Rangel, also a junior, scored 11 points apiece for the Vikings, who fell behind, 45-28, in the third quarter, then trailed, 47-33 heading into the fourth quarter.

Golden made a pair of baskets from the low post and Parkes swished a 3-pointer to spark the Cards during the third quarter. Juniors Ryan Brennan and Oliver Suppo and sophomore Gabe Dunleavy each had two points for the victors.

“It was a physical game,” Trimmer noted. “It’s a ‘W’, to come on the road and get a win is good in the FCIAC.”

Greenwich’s 7-12 mark is deceptive, since it has lost several close matchups this season. They have been competitive with almost every opponent.

“We could beat anybody,” Trimmer said. “We had four games this year we completely should have won.”