Western Michigan 67 - 86 Pittsburgh
Final
  for this game

Pitt posts easy win on emotional day for coach Dixon

Nov 12, 2006 - 7:14 PM WEST POINT, New York (Ticker) -- Pittsburgh came through with an easy win on what was a hard day for their coach.

The fifth-ranked Panthers rolled to an 86-67 victory over Western Michigan in the Maggie Dixon Classic, an event that was named in honor of Pitt coach Jamie Dixon's late sister.

Maggie Dixon was a popular and successful women's coach at Army. She guided the Knights to their first-ever Patriot League championship last season and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

The college basketball world was rocked when Maggie Dixon died last April 6 of heart arrhythmia. She was 28.

In the second game of the Maggie Dixon Classic, the Army women's team will face No. 7 Ohio State. Prior to tip-off of that matchup, the Army Athletic Association unveiled two banners commemorating the 2005-06 women's basketball season, the Patriot League Championship banner and a 2006 Patriot League Coach of the Year banner in honor of Maggie.

Jim and Marge Dixon, the parents of Maggie, along with Maggie's siblings, Julie and Jamie, were presented with a Patriot League championship ring.

"I tried to focus on basketball and the game coming in," Jamie Dixon said. "It will be harder now that the game is over and with everything that is going on."

On the court, the Panthers (1-0) had little trouble focusing on the task at hand, building a 47-22 halftime lead and cruising to victory.

Mike Cook scored 17 points to lead five Panthers in double figures. Ronald Ramon had 16 points, Sam Young contributed 12, Tyrell Biggs added 11 and Aaron Gray 10.

"I thought we played very well today," Jamie Dixon said. "We passed the ball very well and played good defense."

Ramon, Young and Biggs each reached double figures off the bench for the Panthers, who shot 59 percent (35-of-59), including 7-of-14 from the arc.

"The bench is a strength of ours and should be good for us as the season progresses," Jamie Dixon said. "It's going to be different guys on different nights for us."

Derek Drews scored 13 points for Western Michigan (0-1).






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