Alex McGuire, 19, gained the reputation of being one of the most feared scoring threats in Maryland during her four years at Arundel.
The Gambrills resident finished with a school-record 2,086 points and led the Wildcats to the 2004 Class 4A state title. During those years, many of McGuire?s baskets came off passes from current UNC-Asheville guard Ana Baker.
However, McGuire also displayed the ability to run the team?s offense when necessary. Then-Army coach Maggie Dixon saw that versatility and inserted McGuire as the starting point guard midway through last season.
The move paid off as McGuire led Army to a 20-11 record that included its first regular season and tournament Patriot League titles and the service academy?s first NCAA tournament berth. McGuire averaged 11 points, 1.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds and was named Patriot League Rookie of the Year.
“It was a real exciting year,” said McGuire, who recently finished her final exams for the semester. “I just wanted to contribute this year, and to get the opportunity to be the starting point guard was amazing.”
That amazing year turned into a nightmare for McGuire and the entire Army program April 6 when Dixon died suddenly from heart failure. The 28-year-old just finished her first year at West Point, taking over the program 11 days before the start of the season.
McGuire came to Army with a great understanding of life at a service academy, as two of her uncles attended West Point while her father played football at the school in the late 1970s. Still, none of that could prepare the 5-foot-8 guard on how to deal with the loss of a coach at such a young age.
“It?s been tough for all of us, especially right after it happened,” McGuire said. “We?ve all grown so close together. And even though she was only with us for seven months, we?ll never forget everything coach Dixon did for us.”
Current Army coach Dave Magarity spent last season as Dixon?s assistant after 18 years as Marist?s men?s basketball coach. He expected to walk away from the Black Knights this year with Dixon firmly entrenched as coach and so his daughter Maureen, whom Dixon hired at the Final Four, would be the only family member on the bench.
That all changed with Dixon?s death. Despite receiving other job opportunities, Magarity agreed to remain at Army so the players, already grieving for their coach, did not have to deal with having an outsider coming in with a third coaching philosophy in three years.
“The players didn?t need more uncertainty at this time,” Magarity said. “I didn?t rush into the decision after Maggie?s death, but in the end, I knew this was the right thing to do.”
