NorthWood’s Braxton Linville elevates for a jumper Friday night at Triton. Linville and Panthers would roll 64-43. (Photos by Mike Deak)
BOURBON – NorthWood poured it on early and never let up as what was a prime matchup on paper was a one-sided 64-43 Panther win over Triton Friday night in the Trench.
Triton’s Jarrett Kreft
The matchup between Class 3-A No. 3 NorthWood and Class 1-A No. 5 Triton wasn’t even close as the Panthers scored 22 of the game’s first 27 points and just kept going from there. At the root of the scoring was Dakiyron Fox, who powered his way into the lane time and time again. Fox had 10 points at the half and 17 for the game, but could have had much more if not for a 3-12 free throw shooting night. Fox added 13 rebounds, five on the offensive glass.
Luke Zurcher added 17 points for the Panthers, hitting 3-6 from three-point range and took some of the scoring burden off of Braxton Linville, who finished with eight points, but had seven assists and five rebounds.
“I think Braxton Linville does a great job, along with Vincent Miranda, of doing what we need to do to win,” said NorthWood head coach Aaron Wolfe. “Braxton can change his role along with Vincent during a game to see what’s needed where both of them can score yet both of them can get their teammates involved. I think especially Braxton demonstrated that last year when we needed him to score the basketball a little bit more compared to this year as our guys are developing offensively.”
Miranda totaled 10 points, four steals and three assists for NorthWood, which moves to 3-0 and has won its three games by an average of almost 22 points per game.
Triton, which shot just 18 percent (3-17) from two-point range in the first half, had nearly no pulse in the first 16 minutes. Grant Johnson’s second foul just six minutes into the game trying to muscle up with Fox plus Masen Yeo’s third foul moments into the second quarter left Triton in deep water.
NorthWood’s Dakiyron Fox
The Trojans would show signs of life to open the second half, scoring the first five points. But just as NorthWood had done in the first half, it responded in a big way by posting an immediate 8-0 run.
Jordan Anderson, who struggled to create his own shots with Panther defenders draped all over him, willed in 13 points. Anderson settled for four three-pointers and made none of his six attempts inside the arc. Johnson would get it together in the second half to finish with eight points and four boards and Yeo turned in seven points and eight boards, but was limited with the first-half foul trouble.
“I was really disappointed with that first half,” said Triton head coach Jason Groves. “I know that’s a really good basketball team but I felt like we lost our focus a little bit in what we were trying to accomplish. That’s the best basketball team we are going to play this year. So, give them some credit, but at the same time, I was a little disappointed in our first half.”
NorthWood will pick up an interesting matchup Saturday afternoon, taking on Fishers at Brownsburg High School. Triton (2-2) will also face an abnormal opponent in its next contest Tuesday at Clinton Christian in the first-ever matchup between the two schools. Groves is looking forward to the new challenge.
“(Clinton Christian) is a good basketball team,” Groves said. “We saw them play last year at Argos and they were young and they have everyone back. They have a good team. I don’t know much about them right yet, but we’ll figure it out tonight and tomorrow and start preparing.
“It’s something different. A different place and a different location.”
The JV game went to NorthWood in a 47-33 final. A 12-3 first quarter in favor of the Panthers did the trick and NorthWood added separation late. Caleb Glick finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and three assists to lead NorthWood while Dylan Hensley eight points and five boards for the Trojans.
Triton’s Jordan Anderson rises for a shot attempt against NorthWood.