dailynewsnblog
History was made Saturday night in historic New Castle Fieldhouse (IN).
Mt. Vernon senior guard Luke Ertel, a 2025-26 ALL-USA Midwest Boys Basketball Team selection and Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year, scored 22 points to lead the Marauders past New Albany 77-69 and into their first state championship appearance in school history.
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247Sports ranks Ertel as the No. 41 player in the 2026 class, the No. 4 point guard and the No. 1 player in Indiana. His showings in the semistate round came a week after he scored 34 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the Marauders three-point regional championship win over Pike.
The 6-foot-1 Purdue signee also scored 24 points and hauled in 10 rebounds earlier in the day in a 66-46 win over Decatur Central that set up the semifinal showdown with New Albany.
In the nightcap, Ertel had just nine points entering halftime. He picked up his fourth foul midway through third quarter with Mt. Vernon only leading by three.
Once he reentered the game, though, Ertel took over.
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New Albany cut the Marauders’ lead down to four with under a minute remaining, but Mt. Vernon secured its spot at Gainbridge Fieldhouse at the free-throw line.
