AUGUSTA- Senior guard Hope Bouchard had a game-high 25 points, and freshman Maddie Provost came off the bench to score 16 more on Friday night in leading the Lawrence Bulldogs to a 58-43 win over the Brunswick Dragons in the Girls Class A State Championship game played at the Augusta Civic Center.
Brunswick, who was seeking their first ever state title, got off to a quick start. Dakota Shipley buried a three-pointer, and Maddy Werner added a basket for an early 5-0 lead. Lawrence then scored the next 12 points and took a lead they would never relinquish. A three-pointer by Bouchard, 1-2 from the foul line by Brianna Poulin, another Bouchard basket, and then three-pointers by both Ali Higgins and Provost made up the spurt. The Bulldogs led 15-8 after one quarter. After the Dragons sliced the deficit to three early in the second, Lawrence would end the half on another run this time 14-4 to take their biggest lead of the first half at 29-16 to the halftime break. The #1 seed from the South, Brunswick, made one more run in the third quarter. A 9-0 run with seven of those points coming from sophomore guard Alexis Morin cut it to 35-31, before a three-pointer by Provost and a buzzer beater from behind the arc by Elizabeth Crommett had Lawrence up 41-33 heading to the fourth. The Bulldogs lead would never go below seven the rest of the way, and the 15 point margin was the largest lead of the night in winning their first state championship since 2015.
Bouchard added eight rebounds, three steals, and two assists to her point total along with three 3-pointers. Provost also had seven rebounds. Also chipping in was Higgins with seven points, and Poulin along with Crommett with five points each. Lawrence, who knocked off previously undefeated Gardiner in the North Regional Final, win their sixth gold ball in school history and finish the season with a record of 19-3. Brunswick was led by Werner who had 16 points and 10 rebounds. Alexis Morin had 10 points. Also contributing in the defeat was Shipley with nine points and 11 rebounds, and Kelsie Carlton along with Sophia Morin had four points a piece. The Dragons who got to the state game by defeating Gray-New Gloucester in the South Regional Final, also end their season with a record of 19-3.
Recap and Videos by Chris Lessner/Photos by Lisa Prescott
