When it was most crucial against an experienced Franklin team, Worcester North demonstrated the qualities of a champion.
Amir Jenkins scored 12 out of his 21 points in the fourth quarter as No. 1 Worcester North came back from a double-digit deficit in the third quarter to win over No. 2 Franklin, 59-53, and secure its second straight Div. 1 state championship in front of over 5,000 fans on Sunday night at the Tsongas Center.
The victory extends the Polar Bears (24-0) winning streak to 45 consecutive games. It was the first loss for Franklin in-state this season.
Worcester North coach Al Pettway stated, "We will go in the locker room, then celebrate, and not worry about anything else right now because we've accomplished this twice. 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 a 13-point first half performance with a pair of baskets, along with an Andrew O'Neill three-pointer, which gave Franklin its largest lead at 39-27 with 6:10 left in the third quarter.
The Polar Bears used their zone pressure to create trapping opportunities while leaving the Panthers with a limited shot clock when they got the ball across halfcourt. This strategy worked as North turned three turnovers into six points, including a Jenkins layup just before the buzzer, to reduce the deficit to 44-41 after three quarters.
Jenkins and the Polar Bears continued their strong performance at the start of the final quarter. After Joe Okla (12 points, 13 rebounds) made a steal, he passed the ball up to Jenkins who finished to put North in the lead at 47-45. At the other end, Franklin lost offensive rhythm, going the first five minutes of the fourth quarter without a field goal.
Four free throws from Jenkins extended North's run to 21-4 and the lead to 54-46 with 2:47 left. Franklin made one last effort with Sullivan making a three-pointer 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 in the lead at 58-51 with less than 30 seconds remaining.
Coach CJ Neely of Franklin remarked, "We all saw that we did not handle their pressure well. 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 the first quarter, but baskets by Bradley Herndon and O'Leary highlighted a 9-2 run that put the Panthers in the lead at 20-16. Sullivan then made two three-pointers and had two strong takes to the basket before Hansy Jacques made a three-pointer as the clock winded down to put Franklin in the lead at 32-25 going into halftime.
