Lawrence Girls Erase 11-Point Deficit to Win State Title

Down nine points early in the state championship game, the Lawrence High School girls basketball team refused to quit and stormed back to claim the Class B title with a 52-41 victory over Oceanside on Friday night in Bangor, Maine.

Senior guard Maddie Provost and senior forward Ashley Shores each scored 19 points for the Bulldogs, who trailed by five at halftime before exploding out of the locker room. Lawrence opened the second half with 10 straight points to take a lead they would never surrender.

Provost dominated the boards despite being undersized against the taller Mariners, pulling down a game-high 14 rebounds while adding five assists and four blocked shots. Her determination on the glass helped Lawrence outrebound Oceanside 32-20, a stat line that made all the difference.

"We knew we were really undersized and if we struggled rebounding, it wasn't going to go well," Provost said after the win. "I made it a key point to myself that when any shot went up, I had to go get it."

Shores played lockdown defense on Oceanside freshman star Olivia Breen, who came into the game averaging nearly 25 points but finished with 17. The Bulldogs held the high-powered Mariners to just 41 points, 11 fewer than their previous season low.

The championship capped a remarkable turnaround for the 17-5 Bulldogs, who finished the season riding a seven-game winning streak. Both of Oceanside's losses this season came against Lawrence, including Friday's title game that snapped the Mariners' 19-game winning streak.

Why This Inspires

This wasn't about having the biggest players or the longest winning streak. Lawrence won because they outworked their opponent when it mattered most, turning every rebound into a battle and every possession into an opportunity.

Provost, who will play college basketball at Holy Cross next year, showed what happens when determination meets preparation. She didn't let her size dictate her impact.

The Bulldogs proved that championships aren't won in the first quarter when everything goes wrong, but in the third quarter when you refuse to stay down.