By the time Winters Mill and Mount Hebron complete their Class 2A state semifinal game tonight, one of those teams will have done something that hasn?t happened to them in a combined 51 games: lose.
Third-ranked Mount Hebron (26-0), the Howard County champion, and sixth-ranked Winters Mill (25-0), the Carroll County champion, enter their 7 p.m. game at UMBC?s RAC Arena as two of only three teams in the state that have are undefeated. But each team understands that list is about to become smaller.
“There?s not really any pressure about being undefeated because Mount Hebron is undefeated, too,” Winters Mill senior guard Jordan Neville said. “It?s the final showdown. Everyone has been talking about it, and now, it?s either we win or lose.”
But that?s not to say the Vikings or Falcons haven?t had close calls along the way.
Winters Mill, which is trying to become the first Carroll County school to finish a season undefeated, has won nine games by nine points or less, including twice in the 2A North Region Tournament. The Falcons, who tiedthe best season in school history with a berth in the state tournament, have one of the best transition games in the region, averaging 61.9 points per game. Neville (13 ppg, 8 rpg, 7 apg), along with senior guard Jen Peters (13 ppg, 5 rpg) and junior guard Cassie Cooke (13 ppg, 9 rpg, 4 apg, 5 spg) power the Falcons.
For Neville, who missed nearly all of last season with a torn right anterior cruciate ligament and had to watch her team stumble to just seven wins without her, the season has been nothing short of a dream.
“To have your junior year taken away is heartbreaking,” she said. “But to come back your senior year and be undefeated, it won?t make up for last year, but it?s close.”
Mount Hebron has won six games by four points or less and its past two games in the 2A South Region Tournament by a similar margin. Senior forward Deanna Dydynski (12.2 ppg) and junior guard Brittany Bowen (12.1 ppg) lead a Vikings team known for a physical, man-to-man defense that yields just 35.5 points per game. In Mount Hebron?s 39-37 win over Gwynn Park on Friday night in Ellicott City, it was Bowen who found senior Qiana Coleman alone underneath the basket for the game-winning layup with 1.9 seconds remaining.
“It?s been a magic season there is no doubt about it,” said Mount Hebron coach Scott Robinson, whose team is trying to win its first state title since 1991. “Obstacle after obstacle, the girls have been able to overcome. They have the confidence to know that they can come back and the mental toughness [to do it].”
Whichever team remains perfect will face the winner of Wicomico (19-4) vs. No. 10 Poly (20-5) in Saturday?s championship game at 5 p.m. at RAC Arena. Not that either team is looking ahead.
“Anytime you get to this point and neither team has a loss it creates a very special atmosphere,” Winters Mill coach Bernie Koontz said. “Mount Hebron is very good, we know it?s going to be a tough task.”
