Maryland Terrapins Win 2002 NCAA Final Four

Mighty Maryland!! Terps Defeat Hoosiers, 64-52, To Win National Championship

Juan Dixon scores 18 points as Maryland wins its first NCAA men's basketball title.

ATLANTA -- A star who stepped up and a tightly wound coach - a match made in Maryland, and good enough to turn the Terrapins into national champions.

With All-American guard Juan Dixon snapping out of a scoring drought just in time, Maryland ended Indiana's magical tournament run with a 64-52 victory Monday night.

This was the Terrapins' first appearance in a national championship game and the senior-laden lineup came through over the final 9:42, pulling away from the Hoosiers to become the fourth straight No. 1 seed to win it all.

Coach Gary Williams guided his alma mater from the depths of probation 13 years ago to the pinnacle of college basketball. He let his intense demeanor melt long enough to celebrate with his team, which featured four players who had started at least 100 games in their careers.

"We had to really grind it," he said. "It took us a good 25 minutes before we really ran our offense. Not many coaches get a chance to coach three great seniors like this. It was a thrill for me to watch these guys work hard and get their reward."

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