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FAIRFIELD — In a small office near the basketball court she’s starred on for the last four years, Maddie Provost takes a moment to think over her childhood.

The senior guard at Lawrence is one of the best girls basketball players in the state. The Miss Maine Basketball finalist is averaging 27.5 points, nine rebounds and 4.1 assists per game this season. A member of the program’s last state title team in 2023, she’s now leading the Bulldogs (16-5) into the Class B final against Oceanside (20-1) on Friday night at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.

Provost is at the peak of her abilities, and that’s not an accident. Her earliest childhood memories involve the game, when her father, Lucas Provost — a former player at Waterville High School in the late 1990s — and her mother, Heather, put a basketball in her hands.

“From a young age, not that he was forcing me to play, but I think he knew from when I was little, I was always dribbling around the house,” Provost said of her father. “I was always throwing balls off the walls, sometimes getting yelled at a little bit, but that was part of it.”

Her parents showed a young Provost film clips of Cindy Blodgett, who led Lawrence to four Gold Balls from 1991-94, and went on to a legendary career at the University of Maine. It was proof at an early age that it didn’t matter where you came from, if you had talent, you’d be noticed.

Provost had another star in her own family to look up to while growing up. Her cousin, Sophie Holmes, was a 1,000-point scorer at Messalonskee High School in Oakland, and led the Eagles to a Class A championship in 2017. Holmes set the record for most 3-pointers made (12) in the A North tournament in 2016 and went on to a successful career at Division II Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, New Hampshire.

“Growing up, I was always watching her,” Provost said. “I think that was one of the things that started to drive me a little bit. Just knowing she’s someone I’m related to, knowing she’s a great player. When I was little, that was my idol for sure, because I was at every single one of her games.”

College coaches noticed Provost in middle school, while she was playing AAU basketball for the Maine Firecrackers. That motivated Provost to do the extra work to get better. Lawrence coach Greg Chesley said it wasn’t unusual to see Provost stay after practice, even those that ended at 8:30 p.m., to get in extra work.

“As we’re wrapping up and we’re walking out, I don’t see Maddie for a second, but she’s (in the hallway) talking with the custodian, asking if she can stay in the gym and shoot for another 30 minutes,” Chesley said. “We wrapped up (Wednesday’s) practice, and I know she was in the gym for another hour, all by herself, shooting.

“She’s the one that stays. There’s some kids that stay with her sometimes, but she’s the one that stays all the time. That’s been going on for four years.”

Provost said that’s the work it takes to be great.

“I think it’s all about obsession,” Provost said. “There’s times throughout my career where you do the same stuff and some (routines) get old. I think you really have to be obsessed to be good at this game.”

Provost has experienced ups and downs in her career. After a championship freshman season, Lawrence was eliminated in the regional final in 2024 and the regional semis last season. Despite those disappointing finishes, Provost continued to perform.

“Anywhere you are (on the court), you need to be ready for the ball,” Lawrence senior Ashley Shores said. “She’s either going to shoot it or pass it.”

Provost will become the third Lawrence girls player in the last 30 years to play Division I basketball when she plays for Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, next season, following Blodgett and Nia Irving, who played at Boston University of from 2016-20.

Provost received an email from Blodgett last fall. Blodgett is now director of athletics and girls basketball coach at Lincoln School in Providence, Rhode Island.

“That was really cool,” Provost said. “I was deciding where I wanted to go to college, and I just wanted her insight. I kind of wanted an excuse just to get in touch with her. She had a lot of cool things to say. It’s safe to say she’s my biggest idol, and (you can tell) she put a lot of time in that email. It was really nice.”

Provost’s career is coming to a close, but there’s still one more game, one more challenge, to put an exclamation mark on her career on Friday night.

“I’ve appreciated this whole experience, way beyond words, and it’s bigger than basketball, too,” Provost said. “Just the people I’ve met through the game here. … But when it’s time to get down to business, I feel we really know how to focus in and get those wins.”