The Associated Press

ATLANTA – Juan Dixon made darn sure Maryland’s return to the Final Four didn’t end after one game this time.

Sunday, March 31, 2002

ATLANTA – Juan Dixon made darn sure Maryland’s return to the Final Four didn’t end after one game this time.

With its All-American guard leading the way, the Terrapins reached the national championship game for the first time with a 97-88 victory over Kansas on Saturday night.

Unlike last season when the Terps blew a 22-point lead to Duke in its first Final Four appearance, Maryland managed to make sure this big lead held up in the matchup of No. 1 seeds.

Dixon hit a baseline jumper with 1:14 to play that gave Maryland an 89-82 lead after Kansas had cut a 20-point lead to five. The Jayhawks still weren’t done and neither was Dixon, who finished with 33 points.

Kansas hit two 3-pointers in the final 30 seconds. After the first, Dixon made two free throws to make it 92-85. After the second, Kansas called a timeout it didn’t have and Dixon made one of two free throws on the technical to make it 93-88 with 19 seconds left. That was as close as the Jayhawks would get.

Maryland (31-4) will play Indiana for the national championship on Monday night. The fifth-seeded Hoosiers (25-11) advanced with a 73-64 victory over second-seeded Oklahoma.

Chris Wilcox added 18 points and nine rebounds for Maryland and Steve Blake had eight points and 11 assists.

Now Maryland coach Gary Williams has a chance at his national championship and the Terrapins have an opportunity to erase last season’s nightmare. Many of the players said this week they had still not gotten over the 95-84 loss to eventual national champion Duke in Minneapolis.

Nick Collison had 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Jayhawks, while All-American forward Drew Gooden finished with 15 points on 5-for-12 shooting and had nine rebounds.

Things were far from perfect at the start for Maryland, as Kansas (33-4) jumped to a 13-2 lead inside the opening four minutes. Rallying in the first half seemed to fit the Terrapins much better than holding a big lead did a year ago.

Despite center Lonny Baxter being limited to three minutes in the first half because of foul trouble, Maryland got back in it behind Dixon, the Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year who finished the first half with 19 points.

The Terrapins went up 44-37 at halftime and Kansas, despite getting in serious foul trouble of its own, was able to stay within striking distance.

Jeff Boschee’s 3-pointer with 12:08 to play had the Jayhawks within 60-55. The Terrapins then went on a 10-0 run, the last five points coming from Taj Holden, and it was 70-55 with 10:08 left.

The Terps went up by as many as 20 points, 83-63 on a 3 by Dixon with 6:04 to play.

Kansas, which was in the Final Four for the first time since 1993, made it exciting with the late run, but coach Roy Williams will again have to wait at least one more season for his first national championship.