Mt. Vernon Tops New Albany 77-69, Ertel Triple-Double Fuels State Title Run

The IHSAA Class 4A state championship at Gainbridge Fieldhouse now has its second entrant. Mt. Vernon (Fortville) beat New Albany 77-69 in the South Semistate championship at New Castle Fieldhouse on Saturday night, with Purdue-bound senior Luke Ertel posting a triple-double to send the Marauders to Indianapolis for a March 28 showdown with Crown Point.

Ertel, the 6'3" point guard who was recently named Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year and is considered a frontrunner for Mr. Basketball, delivered the kind of performance that defines a deep tournament run. The triple-double marks another milestone for a program that entered the semistate seeded No. 4 at 25-3 under head coach Joe Bradburn, who is 61-18 in his third year at Mt. Vernon and 362-252 overall in 27 seasons.

New Albany made Mt. Vernon earn it. The Bulldogs led at halftime, and the Marauders answered with a 16-2 run to take control entering the fourth quarter. New Albany still managed 10 unanswered points in the fourth, but could not complete the comeback against a Mt. Vernon roster built with depth at every position.

Ashton McKee led New Albany with 23 points, giving the Bulldogs their best offensive punch, but it wasn't enough. TJ Washington and Seth Winslow each added 11 points for a New Albany team that finished rated fifth overall and fourth in Class 4A by Sagarin at 96.32.

The Bulldogs had reached the championship game by outlasting Terre Haute North Vigo 65-57 in the earlier semifinal, but New Albany's run at its first semistate title since 2016, which would have been its tenth, ended at 69 points.

Mt. Vernon's roster extends well beyond Ertel. Cam Fennell, a 6'2" junior, averaged 12.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists this season while connecting on 61 three-pointers. Brady Klopfenstein, a 6'6" senior, contributed 10.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game with 51 threes. Gavin Woelfle checked in at 10.0 points and 4.2 assists per game. Max Vise, a 6'8" junior, provided size and another double-figure scoring option alongside a supporting cast that head coach Joe Bradburn described as integral to the season's success. "They've fought the good fight and now they're finishing the race," he said.

New Albany head coach Jason Jones, in his third year with the Bulldogs, finishes with a 58-17 record at the school and 263-258 overall across 24 seasons.

Crown Point, seeded No. 2 in the North Semistate bracket at 23-1, awaits at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Marauders, ranked 12th overall and 10th in Class 4A by Sagarin, will need another complete performance from Ertel and company to close out what has already been a record-setting season for Mt. Vernon.