Mount Hebron coach Scott Robinson was pleased by the unselfishness his team displayed while beating visiting Glenelg, 60-44, yesterday. The victory kept the Vikings tied for first place with Atholton.
"Guys were making the extra pass and that's why we got so many easy shots," Robinson said.
The No. 11 Vikings (14-4 overall, 9-1 league) made a season-high six dunks -- three apiece for Patrick Ngongba and Kevin Tonkins.
Kurt Jestes, last season's Howard County Player of the Year when he averaged 21.5 points, was a prime example of the unselfishness that Robinson thinks has his team playing its best of the season.
Jestes, a shooting guard who is averaging 14 points, scored only four points but made five assists and had two steals.
"It has got to be hard for Kurt, who is being keyed on every game. But he's giving the ball up," Robinson said.
Mount Hebron is playing much more of an inside game this season -- limiting the number of shots Jestes takes.
"It's been difficult, but it is much easier when the team wins," Jestes said. "I'm getting fewer shots, but I also shot better last season."
Mount Hebron's inside game dominated smaller Glenelg.
Ngongba scored 23 points and had nine rebounds. And Tonkins scored 17 points to go with 11 rebounds.
Tonkins has been on fire since the Vikings made an 18-point comeback against Wilde Lake Jan. 19.
He scored 10 points in the second quarter to put the Vikings up 28-25 at halftime. They had trailed 14-12 after one quarter.
Ngongba is playing a much smarter game -- earlier in the season he was picking up a lot of fouls by trying to block too many shots.
Yesterday he stayed out of foul trouble and didn't block a shot.
"Coach told me to pass off and not to make any fouls," Ngongba said. "So I've just been standing with my arms straight up instead of blocking shots."
Mount Hebron, which has won 15 of its last 16 county games dating back to last season, found Ngongba open often enough to make life miserable for Glenelg. And, Ngongba opened things up for Tonkins.
"Ngongba attracts too much attention and when you slough off of other people to guard him the other people beat you," Glenelg coach Klaude Krannebitter said.
Mount Hebron continues to play solid defense and held Glenelg (9-9, 2-8) to 15 of 54 from the floor.
The Vikings pulled away in the third quarter because Glenelg missed 10 straight shots and made only two of 15 shots.
Spotty shooting is one of the things that has caused Glenelg to drop to a 2-8 league record.
Earlier this season, the Gladiators shot better and played the Vikings close before losing by four points.
Glenelg's leading scorer, Damian Miles, who averages 16, played sparingly yesterday because of a sore back and finished with nine points.