Maddie Provost’s tremendous basketball career has come full circle.
As a freshman at Fairfield’s Lawrence High School, she came off the bench and provided the Bulldogs with a valuable spark and an offensive boost with her shooting prowess. She had an important role in the Bulldogs’ State Class A championship run that year.
Fast forward four years and Provost, a 2024-25 Bangor Daily News All-Maine Schoolgirl Basketball first team selection, was the Bulldogs’ go-to player and leader who sparked the Bulldogs to the state Class B championship this season.
And she was named Miss Maine Basketball on Friday evening at Anah Shriners building in Bangor.
“It means a lot to me. It’s honestly just a great end to my senior year,” said Provost after the McDonald’s Senior All-Star Weekend banquet. “Obviously, a state championship was truly the most important thing. But I think this is just the cherry on top, for sure.”
The 5-foot-8 guard averaged 28 points, 9 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game this season.
Provost said from her freshman year as a producer off the bench and being the veteran catalyst as a senior were definitely two different roles.
“But I got comfortable in each of those roles,” Provost said. “It’s really important as you get older and get more mature, you’re able to grow in different ways and take what they give you.”
Provost was the Bangor Daily News All-Tournament Team MVP for Class B North girls this season.
Provost filled up the stats line, averaging 24.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 3 steals in the Bulldogs’ three tourney wins including 27 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals in the B North regional championship game win over Gardiner.
After the Gardiner victory, her coach didn’t hesitate when asked who the best player in the state is.
“I hate to say this, but I don’t think there’s any competition,” said Lawrence coach Greg Chesley. “I think the best player in the state is Maddie Provost.”
The Holy Cross-bound Provost followed her terrific performance in the B North title game by tallying 19 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 blocked shots in the 52-41 win over Oceanside of Rockland in the state Class B championship game.
Provost was a Bangor Daily News All-Maine Schoolgirl Basketball first team selection a year ago.
The other Miss Maine Basketball finalists were Kylie Lamson from Cheverus High School in Portland and Addison Cyr from Mattanawcook Academy in Lincoln.
All three girls led their teams to state championships as Cheverus claimed the A title and Mattanawcook Academy earned the C crown.
Provost praised Lamson and Cyr for their outstanding careers during her acceptance speech and said after the banquet that she “wouldn’t have been here tonight accepting this award without all the people that helped get me here.”
She credited her family, coaches and teammates.
Provost also feels her game has evolved over the years.
“I’ve been able to rebound more. I’ve been able to get to the rim more,” Provost said. “I was able to get to the foul line a lot which I was never really great at. And I think my defense has come a long way since my freshman year.”
Lawrence coach Greg Chesley said Provost has improved every year.
“Her shooting range is pretty incredible. She can shoot it from a long ways,” said Chesley, who considers her a “special player.”
He also noted that she has become better at getting to the rim.
“She’s not the biggest, strongest kid on the court but she battles and she can shoot from weird angles,” Chesley said. “She elevates well. So she can get inside and get shots off that other people can’t.”
And he agreed with her that her defense has improved significantly over the years.
“She is very quick. I don’t think people give her enough credit for being quick and as fast as she is,” Chesley added. “But she sees plays two or three steps before they happen. So she can see if an opponent is going to make that pass and she is already headed in that direction and she comes up with some big steals.”
Her steal late in the semifinal game against Ellsworth helped seal a narrow victory.
“She’s awesome,” said Ellsworth coach Andy Pooler.