TAUNTON — Newton North’s run to a Division 1 state title game appearance was valiant but in the end no match for Ty Tabales.

With Newton North and Worcester North tied at 46 with four minutes to play, Tabales hit two crucial three-pointers as part of a 15-5 run that sent the Polar Bears to a 64-57 win over the No. 7 Tigers in the Division 1 state semifinals on Monday night at Taunton High School.

Worcester North will play in the Division 1 state final against North Andover or Needham.

“Our defense was the difference. These guys know how to defend the whole game and the whole way,” Worcester North coach Al Pettway said. “(Tabales) came up big for us too when we needed it.”

The two sides were tied at 42 as the game entered the fourth quarter and remained even at 46 with just over five minutes remaining.

That is when Tabales made his presence felt. The sophomore guard buried a triple, and then moments later drilled another off dribble penetration from Tahlan Pettway to put Worcester North up 52-46.

Jose Padilla tried to keep the Tigers within striking distance by hitting a runner in the lane to the cut the deficit to 55-50 with 2:30 remaining. Tabales, however, hit a pair at the charity stripe and the Polar Bears got three consecutive stops at the defensive end to seal the win.

“We’ve been waiting for this opportunity and now it’s here,” Pettway said of the Polar Bears’ state title game berth. “Now we just need to take care of business.”

The game, which represented a rematch from the regular season where Worcester North (22-2) captured a three-point victory, lived up to the billing.

In front of a soldout crowd, the two sides traded punches with Newton North claiming a 12-11 lead after one. Teshaun Steele was a catalyst for the Polar Bears as he poured in eight points to go with five rebounds to push Worcester North in front 23-21 at the break.

The Polar Bears’ third quarter lead got as large as five (35-3) on a Joseph Okula putback, but Newton North closed the frame on a 12-6 spurt on the heels of Teagan Swint to tie the game going into the final stanza.