Doug Feinberg | The Associated Press
NEW YORK -- Madison Square Garden will honor the
first women's basketball game played at the arena 40 years ago with
a rematch between Queens (N.Y.) and Immaculata as part of the
Maggie Dixon Classic on Jan. 4.
Immaculata won the inaugural game 65-61 in front of 12,000 fans on
Feb. 22, 1975.
"It was a defining moment for women's basketball and for women in
general," said former WNBA President Donna Orender, who played for
Queens College. "I can still hear Helen Reddy singing 'I am woman
hear me roar' the crowd was screaming and tears rolled down my
cheeks on the layup line. I was a freshman and so proud matching up
against the more pre-eminent guard in the country — Marianne
Crawford Stanley. It is so important we celebrate our heritage and
history."
St. John's (N.Y.) will face two-time defending champion Connecticut
in the second game of the annual women's basketball doubleheader
that honors the former Army coach Maggie Dixon, who died of heart
arrhythmia in 2006 at age 28.
"When you think about how far women's college basketball has come
in the past four decades you'd be remiss to not place a large share
of the credit on the shoulders of those young women who laced it up
in MSG 40 years ago," Red Storm coach Joe Tartamella said. "Those
first games that gave the casual fan a thirst for women's
basketball now gives us the opportunity to play in 20,000-seat
arenas on a regular basis. They are the pioneers of the game that
deserve much more credit than they currently receive."
UConn has never lost in its three appearances and beat Ohio State
in 2010 to tie the vaunted UCLA men's basketball record 88-game
winning streak. The Huskies went on to break it and win 90
consecutive contests.
Coach Geno Auriemma's current team has won 46 consecutive games and
back-to-back national championships, led by The Associated Press
player of the year Breanna Stewart.
The former conference opponents played every year before the Big
East broke up last season and UConn joined the American Athletic
Conference.
Dixon's arrhythmia was likely caused by an enlarged heart. Her
death came three weeks after her first season as a head coach, when
she led Army to its first NCAA berth.
The inaugural Maggie Dixon Classic was held at Army in 2006 —
a men's and women's doubleheader. The Pittsburgh men, coached by
Maggie's brother Jamie, beat Western Michigan, and Ohio State
routed Army. The past seven Classics have been played at Madison
Square Garden.
Queens Women's Basketball to Play at Madison Square Garden
Posted: Sep 23, 2014