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Home , Byron Mouton, Chris Wilcox, Drew Nicholas, Juan Dixon, Lonny Baxter, Tony Batista

DAILY 04-02-02 DM M2 D1 CMYK

[ ABCDE] D Pro Hockey High Schools SPORTS Scoreboard

Tuesday, April 2, 2002 K DM VA M2

NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP 64, INDIANA 52 Year of the Turtle Terps Take Title, Pulling Away After Struggling With Nerves, Hoosiers

BY JOHN MCDONNELL—THE WASHINGTON POST With first NCAA championship wrapped up, the celebration begins for, from left, guard , forward Tahj Holden, guard and . Dixon scored game-high 18 points and was tournament MVP. MICHAEL WILBON By Josh Barr Washington Post Staff Writer

ATLANTA, April 1—As the final seconds ticked Terrapins’ Juan, and Only down tonight, each one bringing Maryland closer to its first national championship, Coach ATLANTA quite appropriate. Lonny Baxter, , hugged forward Chris Wilcox, then assistant coach e might go down as the University of , , Drew Nicholas, Tahj . Guard Juan Dixon and center Lonny Maryland’s greatest player and its most Holden and the others will all own a piece of the Baxter, the Terrapins’ two stars, embraced and top- H beloved. Juan Dixon, a kid with so sad a 2002 NCAA men’s basketball championship, the pled to the floor. beginning, gave Maryland basketball its first in the University of Maryland’s history. But In college basketball’s biggest game, the Terrapins dreamiest ending Monday night. Dixon was the title will be associated with two men above all were far from perfect but more than good enough to Maryland’s calm in those few desperate moments the others: Gary Williams, the coach who saved hold off the Indiana Hoosiers, 64-52, before 53,406 at in the second half, its smartest and toughest and his alma mater’s team, and Juan Dixon, the star, the Georgia Dome. As he had all season, Dixon made most purposeful player in the moments when the kid who provided the resolve and the the toughest shots when grace under pressure is everything. candlepower. Maryland needed them most, They can hang Dixon’s uniform No. 3 in the If a kid has ever had a more inspirational ride first a three-pointer from the Victory Rally rafters of Cole Field House or Comcast Center or left corner seconds after Mary- Maryland will hold a from any flagpole in College Park, and it would be See WILBON, D11, Col. 1 land had fallen behind for the rally at 2 p.m. today only time, then a hanging at Cole Field House. jumper one minute later. Admission is free, THOMAS BOSWELL “It’s a great feeling, except though the doors that I haven’t felt anything be- to the arena will be cause I’m numb,” Williams closed if capacity said an hour after the game. is reached. Basketball’s Tortoises Are Title’s Heir Asked to describe his emo- tions, Dixon said: “I can’t. I feel like I’m dreaming be- ATLANTA juncture when Maryland teams—whether in the cause I’m part of a national championship team. xactly the kind of crisis moment that has so-called Sweet 16, Elite Eight or, last year, in That’s all I can say.” bedeviled Maryland basketball teams for the Final Four—have failed. There were a few scary moments when Maryland’s E decades arrived with less than 10 Just last season, essentially this same stunning season seemed like it was going to come to a minutes to play in the first national Maryland team had taken a 22-point lead over most hollow end. Dixon, though, one of the greatest championship game the Terrapins had ever Duke in the NCAA semifinal and came players in school history, made certain there would be played. completely unglued, losing its composure and no disappointment at game’s end. He scored a game- A game that seemed safely won was slowly focus, blaming officials and finally blowing the high 18 points and made sure a splendid season would and diabolically slipping away as Indiana and its biggest lead in Final Four history. end memorably. out-of-body three-point shooters turned an Not This Time, Baby. BY JONATHAN NEWTON—THE WASHINGTON POST The Terrapins (32-4) already had set the school re- 11-point deficit into a 44-42 lead. So often, After investing 13 seasons of coaching his alma mater, former point despite talented players, this has been the See BOSWELL, D10, Col. 1 guard Gary Williams collects the net profits of school’s first national title. See TERRAPINS, D11, Col. 2

Stretch Time Orioles Slam Yankees’ Oldfield to Coach For Wizards Clemens in Season Opener U-Md. Women With nine games left—most Thanks to a by Tony Batista, left, Minnesota’s Brenda Oldfield against quality teams— the Orioles rocked will be announced today as the Wizards cling to faint and the in the season next women’s basketball playoff hopes. Page D2 opener at Camden Yards. Page D5 coach at Maryland. Page D8