For many years, athletics at the Division III level has stressed the development of life skills for student-athletes. Competition on the field or court is to groom dedication, commitment and effort that will pay dividends in the long run. For Megan Dillon Grant, there one life lesson she’ll always remember developing during her time at Cabrini – resiliency.
Ask Dillon what she recalls most fondly of her Cavaliers’ tenure and she will take you back to the 1994-95 season when the program captured the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference (PAC) championship and appeared in the NCAA Tournament.
More specifically, Dillon points to the PAC championship game against Allentown College as a benchmark for something she will never forget due to the Blue & White’s “never-say-die” mentality.
“We were down 20 points with eight minutes left against a very strong team,” Dillon said. “I’ll always remember how hard we worked on defense and chipped away at the deficit with one basket at a time down the stretch. I’ll never forget that game.”
Cabrini topped Allentown in overtime, 71-68, winning the conference title for the second time in three seasons and advancing to the national postseason for the first time in program history. The Cavaliers finished the regular season with an unblemished 16-0 record against PAC opponents in 1994-95.
Dillon’s imprint is left all over the Cabrini record books. She ranks first all-time in career assists (618) and career steals (253), and lists second in career rebounds (887) and sixth in scoring (1,156). The Cavaliers played in three NCAA Tournaments and posted an 85-20 mark during Dillon’s four seasons.
“Playing in one NCAA Tournament would be an honor for any student-athlete,” Dillon said. “Being fortunate enough to play in three was an absolute thrill. Advancing to the NCAA Tournament exemplified the success of our team and being a part of a program that played in three straight was an honor.”
Dillon was named to the PAC First Team four times, was tabbed the conference’s rookie of the year in 1993-94 and the league’s player of the year in 1994-95. She twice led the PAC in assists, handing out 6.2 per game in 1995-96 and 6.8 a contest in 1996-97.
Dillon is quick to deflect the spotlight when she’s asked what worked so well for the Cabrini women’s basketball program during her career. She rattled off several key contributors – Melissa Posse (Cabrini Athletic Hall of Fame 2008), Kelley Kempton, Patty Carr and Jackie Pierangeli – that played as much a significant role in their success.
“There are so many players that added to our success,” Dillon said. “I played with a lot of players that worked hard and stayed positive, which rubbed off on other teammates. We had players that wanted to improve every day and developed skills that gave us the advantage. I cherished all of my teammates during my time at Cabrini.”
When Dillon was looking for her right fit for college, she recalls Cabrini’s proximity to home playing a significant role her decision. Today, Cabrini has played a significant role on home, as Dillon married former Cabrini men’s basketball student-athlete Greg Grant in 2000. Greg and Megan have four daughters, Maggie, Lizzie, Caitlin and Bridget.
