One of the best stories this year that you might have missed: Army and Maggie Dixon.

Last night Army beat Holy Cross to take the Patriot League title and the automatic NCAA berth. In the final seconds, Stephanie Stone made a steal that led to a free throw and the win.

The men's football team was at the game, cheering like mad. When the buzzer sounded, the guys stormed the court in celebration. "At first it was a little scary," said tourney MVP Cara Enright. "We couldn't breathe. These big football players were jumping on us. I think we were thankful they picked us up so we could breathe a little.''

The win marks the completion (or the beginning?) of a remarkable turnaround, detailed by Tom Pedulla in last week's USA today.

Army had been consistently mediocre in recent years. Last October, just days before the '05-'06 season started, coach Sherri Abbey-Nowatzki resigned amid suspicions of NCAA violations. Army brought in Dixon, who is just 28 years old.

The Black Knights started 5-7, but Dixon kept working to build confidence. They've finished 14-3. Dixon is becoming a hero to her players and to the larger West Point community.

When asked last week by Pedulla about the possibility of securing an NCAA bid, Dixon responded: "We do not have it out there as a distant dream. This could actually be reality."

Now it is reality: Army is making its first trip to the Big Dance.