Nov 17, 2001

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By DAVID GINSBURG
AP Sports Writer

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Maryland's potent 1-2 punch produced another milestone for coach Gary Williams and one more Cole Field House memory for the Terrapins.

Lonny Baxter scored 25 points and Juan Dixon had 22 as No. 2 Maryland opened its final season at Cole by breezing past American University 83-53 Saturday.

The Terrapins (2-1) took an early 31-8 lead in extending the nation's longest non-conference home winning streak to 78, a run that began with a victory over Alcorn State in December 1989.

"We really want to defend our home court this year. Our goal is to go undefeated here," Dixon said.

It was the 244th victory at Maryland for Williams, who moved into second place on the school's career list ahead of his former coach, Bud Millikan. Lefty Driesell is the leader with 348.

"Coach Millikan would have more wins if he didn't play me," Williams quipped. "Really, my goal has never been to get wins for myself, but to make Maryland a program that can complete nationally on a regular basis."

Williams is 244-140 at Maryland and 451-268 in his college coaching career, which began at American in 1978. He's 7-0 against the Eagles since coming to Maryland in 1989.

Brian Williams scored 15 points for American (0-1), in its second season under former Virginia coach Jeff Jones.

The Terrapins, who will move into a new on-campus arena next season, can only hope to duplicate the success they've enjoyed at Cole, where they're 52-7 since the start of the 1997-98 season.

Before the game, a banner commemorating Maryland's initial trip into the Final Four was unfurled from the rafters of the arena. The Terrapins then flashed the form that got them there, racing to 10-0 lead in the opening two minutes.

"Maryland has been waiting for that for a long time," Dixon said of the banner. "Not only did we get it done, but hopefully at the end of this season we can have a national championship banner in the new arena next year."

American had four missed shots and four turnovers in its first nine possessions. It was 12-6 before Baxter scored six straight points in the lane and Dixon added a layup and a 3-pointer in a 15-0 run that put Maryland up by 21.

"They were looking to come up with the knockout right out of the gate, and we didn't handle it very well," Jones said. "They attacked and we were kind of shell-shocked."

Baxter, a 6-foot-8 center, and Dixon, a 6-3 guard, teamed to score well over half of Maryland's points. Baxter had 15 at halftime to help the Terrapins take a 48-23 lead.

"Those two guys give you the inside-outside look you're looking for," Gary Williams said.

Said Dixon: "I'm just playing off Lonny. He really set the tone today. We got the ball inside early and Lonny was finishing."

Baxter and Dixon accounted for Maryland's first 13 points in the second half, staking the Terrapins to a 61-28 lead with 14:53 left.