SOUTH WHITLEY – A fast start carried powerful NorthWood past Whitko 72-18 in boys basketball action Friday night.

The Class 3-A No. 5 ranked Panthers rolled to a 17-4 lead after the opening quarter in the regular-season finale for both teams.

A total of 13 different players scored for NorthWood, which improved to 18-2 with the win.

Dakyrion Fox led the Panthers with 12 points. Cam Simpson score 10, Braxton Linville nine and Will Stueve eight for the winners.

NorthWood senior standouts Jonathan Wilkinson and Zach Zurcher, both of whom scored their 1,000th career point recently, had seven and four points respectively in the victory.

Nate Walpole scored nine points and Dylan Cumberland had seven for the host Wildcats, who fall to 1-19. Whitko had just four field goals in the contest.

NorthWood won the junior varsity game 60-15. Tyler Baugher led Whitko with eight points.

Both teams will compete in the Class 3-A Wawasee Sectional next week. Whitko plays West Noble Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.  NorthWood faces Lakeland on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.