Vikings Survive Another Cliffhanger
Mount Hebron 54, Winters Mill 53

By Ryan Mink
Special to The Washington Post
Thursday, March 13, 2008

CATONSVILLE, Md., March 12 -- As most of Mount Hebron's players celebrated by their bench at the end of their Maryland 2A girls' basketball semifinal Wednesday night, senior Deanna Dydynski paused and stood apart from her team.

Mount Hebron had to wait until the final seconds, and even several seconds after the game's completion, before finally celebrating a win against Winters Mill that will send the Vikings to the 2A title game Saturday. After officials determined there was no time on the clock following a desperation three-pointer that made it a one-point game, Dydynski finally jumped into the fray.

For the third consecutive playoff game, Mount Hebron's outcome was decided by four points or less, but the Vikings once again came out on top, beating previously undefeated Winters Mill, 54-53, at the Retriever Athletic Center.

"These girls have been clutch all year," Mount Hebron Coach Scott Robinson said. "Our girls don't get rattled. The greater the pressure, the more they thrive under that pressure."

The No. 9-ranked Vikings (27-0) won their 2A South Region title game against Gwynn Park on a layup by Qiana Coleman at the buzzer, and they beat River Hill, 47-43, in the region semifinals.

Mount Hebron next will face North Region champion Poly of Baltimore (21-5) in the 2A state final Saturday at 5 p.m. at RAC Arena here on the University of Maryland-Baltimore County campus. Poly beat Wicomico, 62-55, in the other 2A semi despite scoring just four points in the first quarter.

The nightcap between two undefeated region champions was much closer. Mount Hebron sophomore guard Aja Wallpher made 1 of 2 free throws with 15.2 seconds remaining to give the Vikings a two-point lead. With a chance to tie or win in the waning seconds, Dydynski stepped in front of Winters Mill guard Jordan Neville's pass. She was immediately fouled and made both free throws to give Mount Hebron a four-point lead.

"When I was at the free throw line, I was thinking, 'This is going in,' " Dydynski said. "We're winning. I'm not losing this game. I think people step up when they need to and I thought it was my turn."

With 6.5 seconds remaining, Winters Mill's Cassie Cooke dribbled upcourt and sank a shot from just a few feet inside midcourt to bring the Falcons to within one point. There was less than a second on the clock when the shot fell, but time expired with Winters Mill Coach Bernie Koontz trying to call a timeout.

"I was like, 'Umm, I don't think this is over yet,' " said Dydynski, who scored her 1,000th career point during the game.

Though the game ended just in time for the Vikings, they took a while to get started. Mount Hebron missed eight of its first nine shots. It fell behind by six before a three-pointer by Coleman sparked a 16-2 run that closed the first quarter.

Mount Hebron retained control in the second, opening with an 8-2 run to take a 26-12 lead, its largest of the game. Winters Mill (25-1) cut the 14-point lead in half by intermission and to five by the end of the third quarter. But five more points by Coleman helped stave off the Falcons' comeback.

"I hope they win," Neville said of the Vikings' first trip to the final during Robinson's 11 seasons as coach. "If they are going to take our undefeated record, I hope they go all the way because they deserve it."