SALINA – Eli Shetlar’s first trip back from college will be tough to top.
 
In some ways, the Andover graduate and Indiana State freshman wants no part of trying to one-up his journey to the Sunflower State for the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association All-Star Game.
 
In another way, it worked out just fine. The all-state sharpshooter who led Andover to its first state title in March scored 24 points Saturday to boost the Gold All-Stars to a 119-114 overtime victory over the Blue at Kansas Wesleyan’s Mabee Arena.

 
“It’s been a pretty wild adventure,” said Shetlar, who was selected to play in the annual showcase for his father, Martin, the Gold team’s head coach who guided Andover to the Class 5A crown. “At one point I didn’t know if I would be here.”
 
Shetlar, part of Indiana State’s four-player signing class for 2023, reported to Terre Haute earlier this month for the Sycamores’ summer access period. His weekend furlough for the KBCA game hit a snag late Friday night when his connecting flight from Dallas to Wichita was first delayed, then canceled.
 
Unable to find a seat on a Saturday flight that would get him home in time for the game, the Shetlars came up with a plan. Eli rode with an Uber driver from Dallas to Oklahoma City, where Martin and his wife, Julia, met them to take Eli the rest of the way.
 
“His mom said, ‘He’s coming home,’” said Martin Shetlar, who coached Saturday after getting home with Eli at 5:30 a.m.
 
The 6-foot-6 Shetlar made the most of his first $250 solo Uber ride. He led seven Gold players in double figures, making 8 of 12 shots from the field. Shetlar added six rebounds, two assists and two blocks, and hit two victory-clinching free throws with six seconds remaining.
 
Osage City’s Landon Boss backed Shetlar with 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including two field goals in the closing minutes of regulation that helped the Gold erase a 105-99 deficit and get the game into overtime. Boss also buried a 3-pointer in the opening seconds of the 3-minute extra period.
 
“Shoutout to Landon Boss,” Shetlar said. “He was amazing down the stretch.”
 
The Golds needed all hands on deck as the Blue squad countered with six players in double figures. Blue Valley Northwest’s Grant Stubblefield, who was selected as Mr. Kansas Basketball by the KBCA, shared team-high scoring honors for the Blue with Basehor-Linwood’s Tyson Ruud. Both finished with 22 points.

 
Stubblefield, a University of Nebraska Omaha signee, displayed the slashing drives he used to help the Huskies win the Class 6A title, while Ruud, the 5A high jump champion last month at 7 feet, energized the crowd with dazzling dunks and also hit four 3-pointers.
 
Stubblefield had an opportunity to win the game for the Blues in regulation, but lost his balance going to the rim and had his shot blocked.
 
“I was just happy we got to overtime because with Grant having the ball, there was a good chance we’d all be going home,” Shetlar said.
 
Shetlar and his Gold teammates had work to do at the midway point of the extra period. Stubblefield scored on a steal and layup, and Ruud added a fast-break dunk to put the Blues up 111-110. But the Golds took the lead for good when Maize South’s Isaiah Atwater dished to Boss for a basket. Then after a Blue turnover, Shetlar hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key to put the Gold up 115-111 with a minute remaining.
 
“Of course it was going to go to overtime,” said Martin Shetlar, who added Eli would return to Terre Haute on Sunday morning. “Everybody is a good player out here and they’re all winners. They’re all used to winning.
 
“Our guys just said, ‘Make sure to win,’ and that’s what they did. They knew they had to get good shots on offense and get stops on defense.”
 
Atwater and Rose Hill’s Kellan Simoneau, former summer teammates of Eli Shetlar, each scored 13 points for the Gold. Pawnee Heights’ Alec Carlson added 12, Baldwin’s Caleb Carr had 11 and Derby’s Kaeson Fisher-Brown 10.
 
For the Blue, Hutchinson’s Garrett Robinson scored 18 points. Southeast of Saline’s Eli Sawyers and Sabetha’s Matthew Garber each had 14 and Ellinwood’s Brit Dutton added 11.
 

 
KBCA BOYS ALL-STAR GAME
 
GOLD 119, BLUE 114 (OT)
 
Blue … 52 … 55 … 7 … – … 114
 
Gold … 55 … 52 … 12 … – … 119
 
Blue – Robinson 7-15 0-0 18, Dutton 4-10 2-4 11, Stubblefield 10-19 1-2 22, Brandl 0-1 1-2 1, Sawyers 6-13 2-2 14, Dolloff 2-3 0-0 5, Hurla 1-5 0-0 2, Garber 6-11 0-0 14, Kisling 2-7 0-0 5, Ruud 9-16 0-0 22. Totals 47-100 6-10 114.
 
Gold – Atwater 5-9 0-1 13, Simoneau 5-13 0-0 13, Boss 7-10 2-2 17, Proctor 4-6 0-0 9, Shetlar 8-12 6-7 24, Carr 4-7 3-4 11, Kaufman 2-2 1-2 7, Ratzlaff 0-3 1-2 1, Fisher-Brown 5-12 0-0 10, Carlson 5-9 0-2 12, Kuckelman 1-1 0-2 2. Totals 46-84 13-22 119.
 
3-point goals – Blue 14-49 (Ruud 4-10, Robinson 4-11, Garber 2-7, Dolloff 1-1, Dutton 1-4, Kisling 1-4, Stubblefield 1-6, Sawyers 0-3, Hurla 0-3); Gold 14-35 (Atwater 3-5, Simoneau 3-7, Kaufman 2-2, Carlson 2-5, Shetlar 2-6, Boss 1-2, Proctor 1-2, Ratzlaff 0-2, Fisher-Brown 0-4). Rebounds – Blue 51 (Stubblefield 7); Gold 43 (Shetlar 6). Assists – Blue 24 (Kisling 7); Gold 19 (Atwater 5). Turnovers – Blue 13, Gold 15. Total fouls – Blue 18, Gold 12. Fouled out – none.