Tidewater Academy’s top-ranked boys’ basketball team whipped Steward School 84-56 Saturday night in the Virginia Commonwealth Conference championship game.

Casey Richmond scored 28 points and Tommie Starkes scored 17 to lead Tidewater, which improved to 27-1.

The Warriors will open play this week as the No. 1 seed in the Virginia Independent Schools Division 3 state tournament. TA gets a first-round bye and will host Williamsburg Christian on Wednesday in Wakefield. Williamsburg Christian, the No. 8 seed, beat ninth-seeded Wakefield School 67-51 Tuesday night.

Seeded seventh is Isle of Wight Academy, which lost to powerhouse Atlantic Shores Christian School on Saturday night in the Metro Conference tournament championship at Alliance Christian in Portsmouth.

The Chargers, who have won a school-record 23 games this season, fell 65-38 to the Seahawks, despite Daniel Brown’s 18 points.

Brown and Brandon Privette both made the all-conference team.

IWA’s Ben Vaughan, who won this 500th career game last week, was named the Metro’s Coach of the Year.

The Chargers will host Fuqua School in the first round of the VIS state tourney on Tuesday. The winner travels to meet second-seeded Carlisle School in Martinsville on Wednesday.