Ertel leads Indiana seniors past juniors 105-100 in All-Star battle

Jason Gardner Jr. looked every bit like the next name ready to crash Indiana’s senior conversation, but Luke Ertel made sure the present still belonged to the seniors. Indiana’s senior All-Stars survived a sharp challenge from the Junior All-Stars, holding on for a 105-100 win Wednesday night at Mt. Vernon High School in Fortville.

That score mattered because this was not a casual June run. It was a clean snapshot of the state’s current top end against the class chasing it, and Ertel, the Purdue-bound Mr. Basketball from Mt. Vernon, turned his final home game into a reminder of why he sits atop the senior class. He finished with 20 points, 10 assists and six rebounds, steering the game with passing as much as scoring. His shot from deep never fully took over, but his command did. When Indiana needed structure late, Ertel supplied it.

Gardner gave the juniors the kind of answer that will keep his name in early future-Mr.-Basketball talk. He led all scorers with 21 points, and a later recap added eight assists to the line, showing that the junior star did more than hunt his own offense. He also had carried that momentum into the week by scoring 30 points with six assists in the Junior All-Stars’ 109-99 win over Kentucky’s juniors at Charlestown High School on May 31.

The seniors did enough behind Ertel to withstand that push. Northridge’s Brady Scholl, an IBCA first-team Academic All-State selection with Ertel, added 17 points and nine rebounds on efficient shooting. Crown Point’s Dikembe Shaw jumped out fast and finished with 18 points despite foul trouble. Plainfield’s Noah Smith, Silver Creek’s Dane Caldwell and Noblesville’s Baron Walker all chipped in, and that depth proved critical when the juniors kept making it uncomfortable.

The game also carried some context that made the final margin feel even tighter. Lawrence North’s Brennan Miller and Cameron Webster were unavailable after graduation, while Fishers standout Kai McGrew sat with a foot injury, leaving the junior roster incomplete but still dangerous. Todd Woelfle’s 13-man senior group, announced April 16, had just enough veteran polish to survive the test.

Indiana now turns to Kentucky for the annual series, with the seniors scheduled to play Friday at Lexington Catholic High School and again Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The juniors already handled Kentucky’s juniors, and the seniors have the 2025 sweep in their pocket, including a 106-92 win at Gainbridge. But after this one, the clearest takeaway was simple: the next wave is already close enough to matter.