Columbus East High School

The Columbus East freshman boys basketball team made the most of its opportunity on a bigger stage, grinding out a hard-earned 36–35 victory over host Greenwood Woodmen in the Greenwood Holiday Tournament. The freshman Olympians set the tone early with a composed and physical first half, building a 22–14 advantage at the break. Luke Lienhoop led the early charge with seven points and four rebounds, while Frank Phillips added six points as East controlled tempo and defended well. The third quarter tested the young O’s. Columbus East managed just two points in the frame, allowing Greenwood to claw back into the game and trim the deficit to a single point, 22–21, heading into the fourth. Both teams found another gear in the final quarter, trading baskets in their highest-scoring period of the night. With the game hanging in the balance, Cam Kibler drilled a clutch three-pointer late, and Dane Hoopingarner calmly knocked down two free throws to give East a bit of breathing room. Greenwood answered with a three at the buzzer, but it wasn’t enough, as the Olympians held on by one. Phillips led all scorers with 12 points, continuing his strong play. Lienhoop finished with seven points and five rebounds, while Gavin Wilcox delivered another rugged performance inside, pulling down eight rebounds to go with two points. Additional scoring came from Owen Hatfield (5), Kibler (4), and two points apiece from Hoopingarner, Parker Jones, and Tucker Day. It wasn’t always pretty, but it was resilient, competitive basketball—exactly what you want to see from a young group learning how to win close games. The freshman Olympians return to action Tuesday night at home against Franklin, with tipoff set for 6:00 p.m.