Pioneer West Regional Championship Teams To Be Honored at Homecoming
- February 24, 2010
HAYWARD, Calif. - Two of the most successful men's basketball teams in Cal State East Bay history will be honored on Feb. 26 prior to the beginning of the Cal State East Bay-Sonoma State game at 7:30 p.m.
The 1984-85 Pioneer men’s basketball team finished with a record of 21-8, the best showing in school history. Cal State East Bay broke six school records and captured the NCAA Division II West Regional Championship for the first time ever with a 51-48 victory over Cal State Northridge.
The following season, the 1985-86 Pioneer team concluded their most successful season ever with a 24-8 record. Cal State East Bay defeated Alaska Anchorage 87-73, capturing the NCAA Division II West Regional Championship for the second straight year.
Michael Harris, Ric Toyloy, Glen Graham, Anthony Robinson, and Bernard James, along with assistant coach Bill Vandenburgh, will return for the ceremony on Feb. 26.
Harris was a two-year point guard who broke his own school record for assists in a season with 150 during the 1985-86 campaign. He scored 40 points in the 1984-85 West Regional and was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. Harris is also a member of the Cal State East Bay Athletic Hall of Fame.
Toyloy was instrumental towards the success of both West Regional Championship teams. During the 1984-85 campaign, Toyloy scored in double figures in 22 games and tallied 18 points in the Pioneers West Regional victory over Norfolk State. In his second season, Toyloy led the Pioneers with 25 blocked shots including three against Alaska-Anchorage in the championship game of the West Regionals. Toyloy hit the game-winning basket against Cal Poly in the opening round of the NCAA Playoffs.
Graham and Robinson were key performers for both regional teams, while James contributed both offensively and defensively on the 1984-85 team.
Vandenburgh's knowledge of the game and his relationship with the players enabled the team to capture back-to-back West Regional Championships. A member of the Pioneer Athletic Hall of Fame, Vandenburgh was also Cal State East Bay's first men's basketball coach in 1961-62.