BALTIMORE (Map, News) - The chant following Mount Hebron’s 55-40 win over Poly in the 2A state final from the hundreds of students who made the drive to UMBC’s RAC Arena on Saturday afternoon summarized the Vikings’ season perfectly: “un-de-feat-ed.”

“That’s what every senior wants, to win states,” Mount Hebron senior forward Deanna Dydynski said. “And to be undefeated, I think that’s a great accomplishment. It just hasn’t hit me yet and I know when it does I will probably be upset [its over].”

Mount Hebron has been one of the state’s most successful teams, but the Vikings had not won a state title since 1991 prior to Saturday. Under former coach Dave Greenberg, the Vikings won six state titles from 1980-1991. But since Greenberg retired and Scott Robinson took the helm 11 years ago, Mount Hebron had never qualified for the state tournament.

Finally, given the opportunity this season, Dydynski and the team’s other five seniors didn’t let their chance slip away, winning the school’s seventh championship and tying Prince George’s County’s DuVal for the most all-time.

The third-ranked Vikings (28-0) raced to a 17-4 lead against the Engineers, but 10th-ranked Poly (21-6) closed the gap to just 34-30 late in the third quarter. Mount Hebron, however, would not be denied, and put the game away from the free-throw line.

But close victories were a trademark of this team. The Vikings won seven games this season by four points or fewer, including the three leading up to the state final. Mount Hebron snuck past River Hill, the 2006 state champion, 47-43 in the semifinals of the South Region Tournament before claiming the region crown with a 39-37 win over Gwynn Park on senior Qiana Coleman’s last-second layup.

The Vikings continued their late-game prowess in the state semifinals, when Dydynski made a pair of free throws with fewer than 10 seconds remaining to secure a 54-53 win over previously undefeated and Carroll County champion Winters Mill (25-1).

“I think our team is always pulling for each other no matter who’s in the game,” Mount Hebron sophomore Megan Schaaf said. “Everyone is always giving 100 percent and working as hard as they can. Everyone picks each other up, and that’s what I love about this team.”

The best news, however, for Robinson is not who is graduating, but who is coming back. Schaaf, a 5-foot-11 center, came off the bench in the final to post game highs in points (16) and rebounds (10). But talent — or lack thereof — has never been a problem for the Vikings.

Since taking over at Mount Hebron, Robinson has led the team to a record of 198-62, preaching an aggressive, man-to-man defense that has become its trademark. In the state final, Poly had 11 turnovers and no assists.

And after winning a state title with a roster that touts no Division I basketball players, Robinson has no doubt where this year’s team ranks among his other 10.

“I’ve had some really, really good teams and blessed with really, really good players. [But] this is the best team I have ever had, has to be.” Robinson said with a smile. “For the girls, game after game after game, to keep rising to the occasion is a tribute to them. The road they took was just an unbelievable road to get here.”

dcarey@baltimoreexaminer.com