Si Update

Herb Magee
SCORECARD, DEC. 25, 2006

OF THE 829 wins in Herb Magee's career, few were stranger than his most recent—which was also his most historic, since it moved him past Clarence (Big House) Gaines on the alltime Division II victories list. On paper, last Thursday's game between Magee's Philadelphia University and Wilmington College looked like a blowout. Philadelphia was 15--5, Wilmington 0--20. What's more, the game, originally scheduled at the Wildcats' gym, which holds only 400, was moved to Philadelphia to accommodate the large crowd expected because of Magee's impending milestone. In the end 1,266 fans, including many of Magee's former players, saw history made. Barely.

Wilmington led most of the game before the Rams forced overtime and eked out a 65--60 win. "The players got caught up in the hype," Magee said. "They tried too hard early." Hype is something Magee (above) has never had much use for. He has spent his entire 40-year coaching career at Philadelphia, passing up higher profile jobs because he's content at his alma mater. After the game he seemed relieved that his pursuit of Gaines—and the notoriety that accompanied it—had come to an end. He was happiest when he left the gym to celebrate privately. "It's a great night for me," Magee told the Philadelphia Daily News. "I get to spend the night with my family, and my granddaughters get to hang with Pops."