Hoops commit Ertel leads team to Indiana state title

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Purdue signee Luke Ertel’s illustrious high school career came to a close on Saturday night.

It ended with a fairy tale.

Ertel helped guide Mt. Vernon to its first basketball state championship in school history, knocking off Crown Point 52-50 in Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

“It’s kind of like a fairy tale ending to my high school career. I wouldn’t want it any other way. You just dream about this as a kid, and for it to come true, in the fashion it did—a close game—I mean, really good crowd. It was awesome,” Ertel said.

The Class 4A State Championship clash was a rematch from December, when Crown Point beat Mt. Vernon 60-56. The Marauders avenged their second of three regular season losses during their state championship run, also defeating Pike to win regionals, who defeated them in February.

Everything offensively was a struggle for Ertel and the Marauders throughout the first half. The senior guard had a game-high 11 points in the opening 16 minutes, but was held to just 2-10 shooting from the field.

Crown Point made everything difficult for Ertel, who got to the free throw line, and sank all six, attempts from the charity stripe to keep Mt. Vernon within striking distance.

The Bulldogs led by as much as 11, after a 6-0 run early in the second quarter. Ertel helped claw Mt. Vernon back within striking distance, cutting the deficit to five with less than a minute to play in the first half with seven points in a three minute span. Crown Point built a cushion to take with them into the break, and negate Mt. Vernon’s run, after a layup by Jack Lux and a triple by Mason Darrell to end the half.

For Crown Point, UIC commit Dikembe Shaw led the way with nine points, while Darrell and Kingston Rhoades both chipped in seven apiece. Mt. Vernon was limited to 27% shooting, while the Bulldogs were 41% from the field and 4-11 from three-point range.

Ertel came out on a mission to start the third quarter. He got an acrobatic floater to fall, while getting fouled in the process, and hit the free throw. Then, Ertel had dishes to Max Vise for a layup and Jack Guerre for a triple to get to within two of the Bulldogs in less than two minutes of game action.

Mt. Vernon would get within two on two separate occasions, but Dikembe Shaw had clutch responses. He would hit a jumper and then a three to keep the Marauders at bay and provide Crown Point with a three-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

That’s when Ertel took command of the floor and showed why he is the Gatorade Player of the Year, and runaway favorite for Indiana Mr. Basketball. After going into halftime shooting 2-10, Ertel scored 15 points on 5-7 shooting from the field the rest of the way.

“I mean I just kind of got to the paint. Felt like I was settling a little too much in the first half. I knew that I was able to get two feet in the paint and create, and I could go finish. So that was really the biggest thing,” Ertel said.

Like he has many times this season, Luke Ertel rose to the occasion in the fourth quarter. The future Boilermaker had 10 of his game-high 26 points in the final frame, including five in an 8-0 that would give Mt. Vernon a 40-38 lead with 4:53 to play.

“I think that’s when it’s most exciting,” Ertel said of rallying back from a 10-point deficit in the second half. “I think I just love those situations. I love those moments. Can’t wait to do it in college.”

After Crown Point scored to tie things up with less than four minutes in regulation, Ertel knocked down a pair of free throws to snatch the lead back, one that he would not surrender. Ertel and seniors Jamaree Collins and Brady Webber would hit free throws down the stretc to clinch the biggest win in the school’s history.

Ertel is looking to do more of that in college, when he gets to Purdue this summer.

“These moments, playing in games that matter, I think is the biggest thing. And I kind of got a taste of that, and they’re going to matter even more in college. So, it’s exciting,” Ertel said.