Maddie Provost entered January averaging 20.3 points and 4.8 assists per game, numbers similar to last season, when she was named KVAC Class A Player of the Year. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

FAIRFIELD — Maddie Provost continues to add to an already impressive résumé.

The reigning Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class A Player of the Year entered January leading the league in points per game (20.3), assists per game (4.8) and 3-pointers (24). Only a junior, the 5-foot-8 Lawrence High guard has already cemented herself as the next great player from a program that has churned out future NCAA Division I standouts such as Nia Irving and University of Maine legend Cindy Blodgett.

But Provost is quick in giving credit to her teammates, and rightfully so. Junior forward Ashley Shores is averaging 11.8 points and eight rebounds per game. The Bulldogs also have two 6-foot senior forwards in Lilly Gray (15.3 ppg, 9.6 rpg) and Nadia Morrison (11.1 rpg). As a unit, Lawrence averages 69.6 points — the highest in KVAC Class A. The Bulldogs are 11-0 and second to Cony in the Class A North Heal point standings.

“I believe in my teammates, that’s the biggest thing, for me,” Provost said. “Everyone has their specific roles to our team, and we’ve established that. I think that’s one of the best things about us, it creates something very special.”

“We really do have a balanced attack,” Lawrence coach Greg Chesley said. “For teams that have tried to take Maddie out, (Shores) has been our high scorer, or (Gray) has been our high scorer. We can really beat teams in a number of ways.

“In big games, Maddie takes a lot of shots, and that’s the way we want it. The other players understand that she, in the long run, is going to lead us. On some nights, it might be somebody else, or on some plays, it might be someone else.”

Provost is the clear leader on the floor. Her statistics this season are in line with last winter, when she averaged 21 points per game and made 61 3-pointers. Her assists have risen from last season (3.9 apg), showing she has no problem dishing the ball to an open teammate for a score.

Lawrence’s Maddie Provost passes the ball during a game against Nokomis on Saturday in Newport. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

“I think I’ve played OK, seeing a bunch of defensive strategies from an opposing team,” Provost said. “I feel like attacking the rim (has been an area of work). It opens up so much. With Lilly and Nadia, and their size, they’re always there for the dump pass if I can’t finish. That’s something I’m still working on.”

Provost’s offensive production has long been a problem for fellow KVAC coaches.

“For me, Maddie is a phenomenal, phenomenal offensive player,” Cony coach John Dennett said. “She’s an incredible passer, sees the court very well. She’s a good floor leader, floor general. She’s a great shooter.”

Added Gardiner coach Britney Gero: “Her court vision, her court IQ, every part of her game is great. Every time that we’ve played them, she’s been a really good facilitator in the first half. Then there’s that flip switch that says, ‘OK, it’s time to take over now.’ And then she just takes over the game. She’s tough. Her shot is so hard to guard. You can’t (double-team) her, because she’ll find the open person. You don’t see many kids like her come through Maine.”

For Chesley, Provost’s strengths are her speed and quickness.

“That first step is so quick and she handles the ball so well,” Chesley said. “She can twist her body in the air like most girls cannot, and avoid contact. We’ve really been working on her penetration (to the basket) and in the last five or six games, she’s really come a long way there, getting to the foul line more often.

“I think her speed is underestimated and underappreciated. She’s fast when she needs to be. She moves so smooth and effortlessly, she just doesn’t always look like she’s moving fast, but she’s as fast as anyone. I think Allie Flagg of Brewer is probably the fastest girl in the conference, and there were times (against Brewer) that Maddie was right there with her. That’s elite speed.”

Lawrence’s Maddie Provost and her teammates huddle prior to the game against Nokomis on Saturday in Newport. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

Colleges have noticed Provost’s skills. She currently has three Division I scholarship offers, from UMaine, Bryant University in Rhode Island, and Stonehill College in Massachusetts.

“The (recruiting) process is fun, a little stressful at times,” Provost said. “I’m kind of just focusing with what I want to do in my career and on the basketball court. It’s amazing. I’m really grateful.”

An undefeated record brings no comfort to Provost. The Bulldogs were nearly flawless last year in the regular season, but finished as the regional runner-up with a 19-2 record, falling to Cony, 54-46, in the regional final. The final seven games of Lawrence’s schedule are a tough stretch, starting with Monday’s matchup against Oceanside. The Bulldogs follow that with a game against Camden Hills and two against Cony before the start of the regional tournament.

“It definitely feels good (to be 11-0), it’s a good position to be in,” Provost said. “No one here is satisfied, but it’s a great thing to be here in this position at this time of year.

“We know the feeling of what it feels like to win (the 2023 Class A title), and what it feels like to come up short. I think it’s important to all of us. I think it’s built us to where we are right now. I don’t think we’d be here without that.”