C6 | JOURNAL-NEWS | FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 2021 COMPLETE. IN-DEPTH. DEPENDABLE. Become a Weather Sponsor today! Prominently promote your business to thousands of readers in this space. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays are now available. Call today before they’re gone! Contact Lisa Scherbauer at 937.610.7416 or Lisa.Scherbauer@coxinc.com. COLLEGEBASKETBALL Father-daughter coachingmatchup: AD-I first she was an assistant for her father for a few years after he took over the program in 2006when head coachMaggie Dixon died of arrhythmia, probably caused by an enlarged heart. Maureen had been offered a job as an assistant by Dixon before she died. She spent three years as an assistant at Army before getting the New Hampshire job. Unfortunately, because of the coronavirus, the Magaritys’ family and friends can’t be in attendance for the historic game. “I can’t help but be a little upset that because of the pandemicmy kids can’t be there, my sister and brother, my nieces and nephews and momcan’t come. His friends and my friends,“Maureen Magarity said. “It’s going to be special, but kind of a bummer they can’ t be there.” As far aswho the family is rooting for, Maureen shared a story that her mom was hoping that the teams split the four meetings. ByDoug Feinberg Associated Press Dave Magarity has coached over 1,000 games in his 40-plus years in men’s and women’s basketball. None have been like the two games he has this weekend when Army faces Holy Cross. Standing on the other sideline coaching the Crusaders will be his daughter, Maureen, who took over that program this year after spending the last decade at New Hampshire. It’s believed to be the first coachingmatchupof a father and daughter in Division I history. “It’s going to be surreal,” said Dave Magarity who turns 71 this month. “What’s unique about it — it goes without saying that same league, in this crazy not only is it possibly the season, we play each other first time it’s happened, but four times.” we’re in the same league. The Magarityswere quick It’s one thing if we were to point out that they’ve playing in a tournament or squared off before in a few it would have been nice to preseason closed scrimmages, play in the NCAA Tournament or NIT. We’re in the butMaureen knows NEW YORK — Army coachDaveMagarityhas coachedover 1,000games in his40-plus-year career inmen’sandwomen’sbasketball. Nonehavebeenlike the twohehaswhenhe faces Holy Cross, ledby hisdaughterMaureen. Holy CrosscoachMaureenMagarity said sheknows it willbe strangecoachingagainsther fatherandregrets that their familycannotattendtowitnessaDivisionI first coaching matchupof fatheranddaughter. MIKEGROLLAP2016 TONYGUTIERREZ/ AP2019 dad coach the men’s team there. He spent 18 years there before stepping away from coaching for a couple years before coming back as an assistant on thewomen’s team at Army. Maureen got her coaching start at Army, where job throughout his coaching career,” she said. “To survive coaching this long speaks volumes aboutmy dad and what he’s taught me. I’ll try not to be emotional walking into that game.” Maureen grew up on the court atMarist watching her this weekend will be different.. The schools will first play at Army on Saturday before heading toHoly Cross on Sunday. “I think this year does put a lot of things in perspective. Playing againstmy dad, he’s done such a great Woods to finish in the top three in the GMC and earn at least a 15-7 record. “I tell our guys we can’t just settle for being 4-0 and being content,” Wyrick said. “We need to continueworking hard and continue to improve. As weird of a year as it is with COVID, the team that improves the most at the end is going to have the best chance in the tournament. We just have to keep improving day in and day, but I thinkwe’re heading in the right direction.” Catholic League South teams after coming off quarantine that week, but they have bounced back to win five of thenext sevengames, including a 20-point margin over Lakota West on Tuesday. Wyrick likes to see the progress in his second season at the helm, which he attributes to a high commitment level fromthe players, but he reminds them not to get too confident. Fairfield was 7-16 last year, and the goals for this season are still ahead of them with a chance defensive effort, and our kids really enjoyplaying with each other, which I think has really helped us. We’re a good-shooting team, but our numbersdon’t showthat. We haven’t shot aswell early in the season from3 or overall … sowe need to improve our shooting, but it’s early. We’ve got some football guys just getting into basketball mode and quarantine (right before the opener) didn’t help, but that will come along.” Fairfield lost their first two games to a pair of Greater while seniors LoganMurphy and Merlin Pope have split time at the forward spot. SophomoreDeshawne Crim started the majority of the season last year as a freshman and has grown into a moremature player in year two, adding 16.1 points per game, whileguardRayConey and center Amir Rogers are first-year starters on varsity. Wyrick said overall it’s a good group that likes to play together. “We’ve been playing hard,” he said. “I like our interest from some D-I colleges. In terms of what he’s brought the team, the scoring is great, and he’s also committed to the defensive end, but what I appreciate most is hiswork ethic really got him where he’s at. With as young as we are, those younger guys can see if they want to getwhere he is, they have to dedicate themselves like he has.” Woods, a 6-foot-4 guard whocanscoremultipleways, is surrounded by three sophomores in the starting lineup, continued fromC1 the game, so he’s beenworking on building strength and making faster reads. Fairfield coachD.J. Wyrick believesWoods’ work ethic has been the greatest attribute he’s contributed to the team — even more so than the statistics. “He’s brought a lot of positives for us,” Wyrick said. “He’s really dedicated to basketball and has drawn some COMPLETELOCAL SOURCEOF NEWS THE MOST PRINTED AND DISTRIBUTED BY PRESSREADER PressReader.com +1 604 278 4604 ORIGINAL COPY . ORIGINAL COPY . ORIGINAL COPY . ORIGINAL COPY . ORIGINAL COPY . ORIGINAL COPY COPYRIGHT AND PROTECTED BY APPLICABLE LAW