When it needed it most against a veteran Franklin team, Worcester North showed the heart of a champion.

Amir Jenkins scored 12 of his game-high 21 points in the fourth quarter as No. 1 Worcester North overcame a double-digit third-quarter deficit to defeat No. 2 Franklin, 59-53, and win its second consecutive Div. 1 state title in front of over 5,000 fans on Sunday night at the Tsongas Center.

The win extends the Polar Bears (24-0) winning streak to 45 straight games. The loss was the first for Franklin in-state this season.

“We are going to go in the locker room, then celebrate, and not worry about anything else right now because we’ve done this twice,” Worcester North coach Al Pettway said. “These kids are different. They never give up. Even down at halftime, they never put their head down.”

Caden Sullivan (24 points, 5 rebounds) followed up a 13-point first half performance with a pair of baskets which, coupled with an Andrew O’Neill three-pointer, gave Franklin its largest lead at 39-27 with 6:10 left in the third.

The Polar Bears turned to their zone pressure to both create trapping opportunities while also leaving the Panthers with a limited shot clock when they did get the ball across halfcourt. The maneuver worked as North turned three turnovers into six points, including a Jenkins layup just before the buzzer, to trim the deficit to 44-41 after three.

Jenkins and the Polar Bears kept its foot on the gas pedal to begin the final stanza. After Joe Okla (12 points, 13 rebounds) came through with a steal, he dished the ball up ahead to Jenkins who finished to put North on top, 47-45. At the other end, Franklin lost rhythm offensively going the first five minutes of the fourth without a field goal.

Four free throws from Jenkins stretched North’s run to 21-4 and the lead to 54-46 with 2:47 left. Franklin made one last run with Sullivan splashing a triple and Sean O’Leary finishing through contact, but Jenkins came up with a crucial tip-in coupled with a fast break layup to put North on top 58-51 with less than 30 seconds remaining.

“We all saw we did not handle their pressure well,” said Franklin coach CJ Neely. “I thought we’d be able to take care of the ball and rebound and that was the story of the game. In the second half we did not take care of the ball and we did not rebound.”

North led 14-11 after one, but baskets by Bradley Herndon and O’Leary highlighted a 9-2 run that put the Panthers on top 20-16. Sullivan then buried two three-pointers and had two strong takes to the cup before Hansy Jacques drilled a triple as the clock winded down to put Franklin on top 32-25 going into the break.