AUGUSTA — For the first time in eight years, the Lawrence High girls’ basketball team is back on top.
Hope Bouchard scored 25 points, freshman Maddie Provost added 16, and the Bulldogs won their first Class A title since 2015 with a 58-43 victory over Brunswick at the Augusta Civic Center.
“It feels amazing, after winning a state championship for field hockey, coming here and playing a great season with people that I love,” said Bouchard, who as the Miss Maine field hockey winner guided Lawrence to the Class B title in the fall. “It’s really amazing, and it feels like a cherry on top for us seniors.”
It’s Lawrence’s sixth state championship. The Bulldogs won four in a row, led by Cindy Blodgett, from 1991-94.
Lawrence began the season 2-2, then won 17 of its last 18 games.
“This year didn’t quite start the way we wanted it to,” Coach Greg Chesley said. “I don’t know if we had a little bit of a field hockey hangover or what it was. … (But) we’ve known all year that, given the opportunity, we could play with anybody. I think we proved that.”
That included Brunswick (19-3), which was paced by 16 points from Maddy Werner, 10 from Lexi Morin and nine points and 13 rebounds from Dakota Shipley. The Dragons were the dominant team in Class A South all season, but could never capitalize on momentum Friday.
The Bulldogs made sure of that. Lawrence hit seven 3-pointers and had an answer every time Brunswick cut into its deficit.
Lawrence fell behind 5-0, then answered with a 12-0 run and never trailed again.
“They didn’t just hit shots when they needed, they hit them all night,” Brunswick Coach Sam Farrell said. “It seemed like they capitalized on everything.”
Lawrence also beat the Dragons on the boards and feasted on second-chance points, outrebounding Brunswick 24-13 en route to a 29-16 first-half lead.
“If we rebound well, it’s a very different game,” Farrell said. “You’ve got to be fundamentally strong to win a state championship, and we just weren’t fundamentally sound on the glass.”
Despite the Dragons’ length, Chesley thought rebounding was an area the Bulldogs could win.
“In that matchup zone, they’re not always in position to box out,” said Chesley, whose team was led by 11 rebounds from Brianna Poulin. “We talked about using our athletic ability to get to the rim, to get those second-chance opportunities.”
Bouchard had 13 points and Provost 10 by the break, but Brunswick went on a run in the second half, trimming the deficit to 35-31 when Morin converted a three-point play with 1:32 left in the third quarter.
Again, Lawrence answered. Provost had a 3-pointer that hit off the rim and bounced into the air before falling through, and Liz Crommett hit a 3-pointer right before the buzzer for a 41-33 lead.
“It was definitely nerve-wracking. … They went on a good run there,” Bouchard said. “That was definitely something I was keeping on my mind when we were on offense, defense, whatever we were doing. I think our hard work and dedication really paid off.”
Bouchard sank a 3 with 4:34 to play that pushed the lead to 49-39, then sealed the win at the free-throw line.
“People ask me how to describe Hope, and I don’t even know yet how to describe her,” Chesley said. “Hope does what she needs to do to get it done.”
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