"We just knew we wanted this so much more," Maddyn Greenway said, referencing last year's close bid at a state championship.

The Fire made Providence Academy sweat in the first half, leading by as much as six points with five-and-a-half minutes remaining before halftime. But a 14-2 run by the Lions helped them regain control, building a 38-32 lead at the half. From there, the lead continued to grow.

"We started to get out in transition, and that was big for us," head coach Conner Goetz said about the late first-half run. "We got steals and easy layups. Because their half-court defense was really good all night, we were struggling to get good shots around the rim."

Now there is plenty to look forward to for Providence Academy as it looks ahead to the state tournament.

Last season, Providence Academy only lost two games as it advanced to the Class 2A championship against Albany. But it fell one win short in a 57-43 loss at Target Center on April 9.
"It was really tough getting so close," said Greenway, who is an eighth-grader this season. "With my first year, I didn't realize we would be so good and make it that far. So now I think we're so much better. We have so many weapons, so I'm just really excited."

A deep scoring roster has helped Providence Academy earn the No. 1 spot in the season's final Class 2A state rankings from Minnesota Basketball News. Greenway, Grace Counts, and Maria Counts are all averaging more than 10 points per game on offense. And with only four seniors on the roster, the Lions could be a threat in the Class 2A field for multiple seasons ahead.

But right now, the immediate focus will be the Class 2A state tournament starting Wednesday, March 16 on campus at the University of Minnesota. And Providence Academy is aiming for another shot at the Class 2A title game.

"We're super hungry to get back there," Goetz said. "We know that we left something on the table last year, and we want to go back and get it this year."