Tatum eagles

MANSFIELD — Five Eagles scored in double figures, and No. 2 ranked Tatum punched its ticket to the Class 3A Division I state championship basketball game with a convincing 77-38 semifinal win over Iowa Park on Tuesday at Lake Ridge High School.

The Eagles improved to 30-2 with the win and will take on Columbus, an 84-62 winner over Onalaska, at 1 p.m. Friday at the Alamodome in San Antonio for the state championship. The Cardinals are 17-2.

Iowa Park ends its season with a 27-9 record.

Tuesday’s game was never close.

The Eagles, who outscored Jefferson 24-2 in the first quarter of Tuesday’s regional title game, led 21-13 after one against Iowa Park before stretching the lead to 37-23 at halftime.

JaCorie Bradley led the way for the Eagles with 17 points. Jordan Chambers and Luke Sigler had 16 apiece, and Cooper Whiteus and Cayden Tatum both scored 10. Nalayus Boyd added four points, and Nick D’Souza and Brandon Howard finished with two apiece.

Austin Stokes scored 15 points in the loss for Iowa Park.

Tatum has won 16 in a row since falling by a point (69-69) to Kountze back on Dec. 28.

The Eagles have yet to be tested in the playoffs, earning wins of 29 points over Mineola, 16 over Liberty-Eylau, 20 over Ponder, 28 over Jefferson and 39 over Iowa Park.