Tony the Tiger's Team is Grrrrrrrrrreat

NANAIMO - Head Coach Tony Bryce swore that VIU's 2025-26 was going to be a reload--not a rebuild.

He was proved prescient as the Mariners improved to 20-3 and clinched top spot in the PACWEST conference following a 62-49 victory over the second-place Douglas College Royals.

The Mariners were dialed in defensively and held the Royals to 18 first half points and 28 points through three quarters. 

Kaia Simpson and Trista Thorn each scored 13 points to lead the Mariners while Kiayra Hohlweg pulled down a team-high 8 rebounds. The Mariners earned 14 steals, led by four from Allison Bentley.

Douglas's Laini Glover scored 11 points to lead the Royals and Mackenzie Dalphond grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds.

With the victory, the Mariners lock up the #1 seed at the PACWEST conference championship and will play in a March 6 semifinal between the winner of the #4 vs. #5 seed quarterfinal. 

Celebrating Tony Bryce

VIU head coach Tony Bryce receives accolades and a framed copy of his first game sheet as VIU coach alongside his family and players. Photo: Mary Kessenich

After the game against Douglas College, head coach Tony Bryce was recognized for his substantial contributions to the VIU men's and women's basketball programs. 

As a student-athlete, he played for the Mariners in the 1990 and 91 seasons under head coach Mark Simpson. He began his varsity coaching career as the head coach of the Mariners men's basketball program in 2006. In six seasons, his teams went 87-15 and won conference gold, three conference silver, and a CCAA national bronze. Bryce was named conference coach of the year three times.

After stepping away from the game, Bryce was hired back in 2017 to coach VIU's women's program. He's won three more conference coach of the year awards, his teams have won four more conference championships, he led the Mariners to a memorable national tournament run on home court in 2022, and with that experience, went on to capture the 2023 national championship in Hamilton, Ontario—matching the 1998 Mariners as the only women's basketball teams in school history to top the nation.

His regular season record with both programs is an incredible 32 losses to 229 wins—a nearly 90% winning percentage—and he is the only basketball coach in CCAA history to win national coach of the year awards for leading both men's teams and women's teams.

Tony Bryce frames a heart with his hands as the home crowd gives him a standing ovation. Photo: Mary Kessenich