PITTSBORO — It was tough sledding for Triton during its North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) girls basketball playoff matchup Thursday, falling at Northwood 67-44.

Second-seeded Northwood (27-1) moves on to Saturday's round of 16 in the 3A East bracket.

No. 18 seed Triton struggled out the gates, falling behind 19-1 at the end of the opening quarter. The score stood at 32-10 at halftime. 

But the Lady Hawks caught a rhythm, winning the third period 18-15. Abby Hood finished with 13 points and had a pair of 3s in the quarter. 

But Northwood's Olivia Porter powered the Lady Chargers to the finish line with a big fourth period.  

JaNiah Smith had a team-high 14 points and Tristan Ennis added 13 for the Lady Hawks who booked a second-round trip Tuesday with its 63-50 road win over Fike, marking the program's first postseason victory since 2016. 

Triton finishes the season 16-8 overall and made its first state playoffs appearance since 2017.