ATLANTA — For more than 20 minutes Monday, Juan Dixon was almost invisible. But when Maryland needed him most in the NCAA Tournament championship game, Dixon knocked down two of the biggest shots of the night against Indiana.

        No way he was going to let this title get away from the Terrapins.

        Dixon endured too much heartache in his life, losing both parents to the drug culture. He heard too many people say this skinny kid couldn't make it at a big-time basketball school such as Maryland.

        The All-America guard scored 18 points and made five steals Monday night to propel Maryland to its first national basketball title, beating Indiana 64-52.

        After going 20:22 without scoring, Dixon made a 3-pointer that put Maryland ahead to stay with 9:40 remaining, erasing the Hoosiers' only lead.

        Then he sank a fadeaway jumper over his designated stopper, Dane Fife, and Maryland steadily pulled away from that point.

        “I was patient and let the game come to me,” Dixon said. “I can't put into words what this feels like.”

        Dixon scored 11 points in the first 10 minutes, then Fife clamped down and Maryland struggled to get its transition game in gear.

        Dixon was part of the problem, committing seven turnovers. Indiana's Jared Jeffries slipped inside for the basket that gave the Hoosiers a 44-42 lead with less than 10 minutes to go.

        But the advantage lasted only 13 seconds; Dixon made sure of that.

        Dixon can thank basketball for providing the refuge to escape his troubled life.

        Dixon's parents, both drug users, died of AIDS when he was in high school. But he found basketball peers who could improve the quality of his life and avoided the temptation to hang out on the streets.

        Dixon wanted to play at Maryland, but when he came to the school, he was 6 feet 3 and just 150 pounds.

        Still, he finished as the leading scorer in the history of the program.

        With his college career over Monday, Dixon hugged Maryland coach Gary Williams.

        “He took a chance on me,” Dixon said. “I love him for that.”

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