NorthWood’s Trey Bilinski blocks Nathan Flenar’s shot Friday night in the Panther’s 59-43 win over Triton. (Photos by Mike Deak)

NAPPANEE – For a half, it looked like a team that was starting two weeks late. For another half, it looked like a team that is starting the season ranked fourth in the state. NorthWood struggled to get its footing at the start, but eventually pulled away from Triton, 59-43, Friday night in its boys basketball season opener at The Pit.

The good problem to have, starting the season two weeks late after the football team made its run to the IHSAA state finals, left NorthWood opening its campaign in its third-scheduled contest. Triton, in its third game of the year, exposed some of the opening night jitters and hung with the Panthers for the first half. The second half, however, was all NorthWood.

Triton led 12-11 after eight minutes, as an and-one by Nathan Flenar and a three from Beau Hepler had the locals uncomfortable and the visitors from Marshall County smelling upset. That continued in the second quarter, as a Trey Bilinski steal and conversion put Wood up just 28-23, which was the closest Triton would get the rest of the night.

Luke Zurcher drilled a three to give NorthWood a 37-28 lead in the third, and though Triton battled back to be down six, the Panthers would go an 11-0 run to end the quarter and extended the run to 17-2 into the fourth, looking the NorthWood of old going away.

“The two hardest quarters to play the entire season is the first quarter of the year and the first quarter of the sectional,” said NorthWood head coach Aaron Wolfe. “And both of those can give you a disadvantage if the other team has already experienced those in those settings. I thought today was no different. It took us a while to get comfortable. I thought we settled in after we settled down after halftime and we were able to execute.”

Triton’s Zac Pitney takes a three-point shot at NorthWood.

Zurcher was the high man for NorthWood with 18 points on 7-11 shooting from the floor. The Panthers also had a trio of players finish with 10 points in Vincent Miranda, Brad Delio and Caleb Lung. Miranda added nine rebounds and three steals and Lung had five rebounds, four steals and two blocks. Bilinski added eight points, five boards and three steals.

“I thought we played a very good third quarter, which gave us some separation in the game,” noted Wolfe. “I think we have a seasoned group where they understand this is game one. Regardless of the outcome of tonight’s game, that it is going to be a journey this year. That’s what makes it fun.”

Triton had Zac Pitney pace the club with 10 points and five boards and Flenar finished with nine points. NorthWood did a number on sealing Grant Johnson inside, as the big man netted just six points after averaging 19.5 in his first two games. Johnson did have four blocks and three rebounds in the contest.

“I told the guys after the game, and I don’t think I’ve ever said this, but I’m proud of the way you battled after a 16-point loss,” chuckled Triton head coach Jason Groves. “But they did. And that’s the first step to getting better. You have to go hard, you have to compete and believe you can win before anything else, before the X’s and O’s. And I thought our kids did that tonight. That’s the area I was proud of. It’s kind of strange to say that after a loss like this, but I feel that.”

NorthWood had little go wrong in the JV contest, beating Triton 58-29. Terrell Pratcher led the Panthers with 13 points while Jared Bules paced Triton with 12 points.

NorthWood (1-0) will host Westview Thursday while Triton (0-3) will play its first home game Tuesday against South Bend Career Academy.