Providence Academy’s fifth consecutive basketball title encapsulates dominant stretch of success
Taco Bell Team of the Week: The 2026 Class 2A title gave the Lions the most consecutive state titles in the 50-year history of the girls state tournament.
By Joel Rippel
The Minnesota Star Tribune
After the Providence Academy girls basketball team won its fifth consecutive state title on March 14, there was both joy and sorrow in the Lions’ locker room at Williams Arena.
“At the end of the state championship you would think that something tragic had happened because of the amount of crying going on in the locker room,” Lions coach Connor Goetz said. “While we were so excited about winning the state championship, it was a bittersweet feeling because we won’t get to practice or play together with this group of girls. We wanted to send our seniors and specifically Maddyn [Greenway] out on a high note and we were able to accomplish that. This team was very special because of how much love we had for one another.”
The Lions’ 95-60 victory over Duluth Marshall in the Class 2A title game gave the program the most consecutive state titles in the 50-year history of the girls state tournament. Only DeLaSalle, which won six consecutive boys state titles from 2012-17, has a longer streak of championships.
Greenway, who helped the Lions reach the state championship game in each of her six years on the varsity (they lost to Albany in the 2021 championship game), scored 116 points the Lions’ state tournament victories over Norwood Young America, Perham and Duluth Marshall.
Greenway had 33 points and 13 assists in the championship game. Greenway, who has signed to play for Kentucky, finished her career with 5,621 points — the leading scorer in state history, boys or girls.
Watch: Inside Maddyn Greenway’s historic senior season
“She was already on a historic pace,” said Goetz, “but for her to be able to put a cap on it like this, it just is the perfect ending to maybe the most legendary career ever.”
In the championship game, the Lions also received contributions from junior Emma Millerbernd (21 points and six assists), junior Lexie Nicolai (19 points and 13 rebounds) and freshman Beckett Greenway (10 points, five rebounds and five steals). Beckett Greenway had 25 points and six steals in the Lions’ quarterfinal victory over Norwood Young America and Nicolai had six points and 14 rebounds in the victory over Perham.
The Lions finished the season with a record of 28-4, with their only losses to Class 4A schools Hopkins and Maple Grove and Wisconsin schools (Wauwatosa East and Arrowhead). Over the past six seasons, the Lions have compiled a 169-16 record.
“This is a special group and I hope they can just remember the bus rides, the hotel stays, the silly videos they would take, the TikToks,” Goetz said. ”All those things are what high school sports are about. Yes, we get to celebrate the wins and the victories and go home to the school and see their titles, but what lasts forever are the relationships.”
Related Coverage
Nominate a team: Want to nominate a varsity team for Taco Bell Team of the Week consideration? Email us at varsity@startribune.com. Winning teams receive free tacos from Taco Bell and Border Foods.
Comments