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BANGOR — The Lawrence girls basketball team was down nine points just a few minutes after the opening tip. The Bulldogs were down five at halftime.

There was never panic. Just poise.

“I said to the team at the beginning of the game, there’s not going to be one moment in this game when all of us on the court can not believe,” senior guard Maddie Provost said. “We can’t not believe in each other.”

That belief was rewarded. Provost scored 19 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, Ashley Shores also had 19 points while leading a strong Lawrence defense, and the Bulldogs took down Oceanside of Rockland, 52-41, in the Class B final at Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.

“It’s hard to describe, honestly,” said Provost, who as a freshman helped lead Lawrence to the Class A title in 2023. “I think it’s just about your team coming together at the right time. I believe that I felt that feeling my freshman year, and now I know that it’s truly hard. It is hard. But it’s awesome.”

It’s a complete reversal from the feeling for the Bulldogs (17-5) last season, when they went undefeated during the regular season, only to fall to Camden Hills in the Class A North semifinals. This year, the Bulldogs had stumbles during the regular seson, but they were at their best when it mattered most.

“Maddie and I talked a fair amount. We both said we’d like to go in as underdogs, we’d like to go in not as the top dog one time,” coach Greg Chesley said. “We like that feeling better.”

For Oceanside (20-2), which was seeking its third Class B championship in five years, it was a crushing end to what was feeling like another golden season. The Mariners set a record for 3-pointers in the South regional and knocked down four 3s in the first quarter, helping them to an early 11-2 lead and a 29-24 halftime advantage, but they shot only 3 for 22 after halftime.

Freshman Olivia Breen had 17 points and eight rebounds, while Renee Ripley scored eight points.

“It was a game of runs, you knew (it was) two teams that were probably going to make runs,” coach Matt Breen said. “They made some plays, and as the pressure built, the hoop started to shrink. I’ve got to have some better stuff to get us better looks. It’s on me.”

In the second half, Lawrence made its move with a 10-0 run. Provost had a putback, Shores made a jumper and Provost converted another putback, putting the Bulldogs in front. A Shores drive and pair of Provost free throws completed the run. Lawrence never trailed again.

“We were just saying ‘Don’t let them be more physical than you,'” Shores said. “Coach demanded, we’re not going to let them be more physical than us. They’re owning us if we’re not going to be physical.”

After scoring seven points in the first half, Provost, who was being doggedly defended by Grace Mackie, began to attack more with the ball.

“They made it hard for me,” said Provost, who was averaging 27.5 points going into the game. “But I was able to be more assertive, for sure. … And some of my teammates hit some big shots tonight.”

None more than Shores, who drew the unenviable task of guarding Breen on one end of the floor and then came through on the other. She knocked down her third 3-pointer with 1:31 left in the third for a 37-32 lead, and went 5 of 6 from the free-throw line in the final minute to ice the victory.

“We felt confident from the moment we came in,” Shores said.

Lawrence’s defense closed it out, limiting Breen’s access to the basket in the fourth and holding Oceanside to 1-for-12 shooting.

“The girls really showed me how hard they could work and what they could do,” said Chesley, who also got six points from Jaycie Elkins. “The job Ashley Shores did on defense was phenomenal, Amiah Laweryson doesn’t get enough credit for what a great defender she is … (and) Leah Tibbetts on help side, we just did a great job.”