Columbus East High School

The Columbus East Olympian boys basketball teams defended their home floor Friday night against Bloomington South, and while the scoreboard didn’t tilt their way, the fight and resolve were impossible to miss. The varsity Olympians dropped a hard-fought 53–50 decision, while the JV squad came up just short in a 58–56 overtime loss. On the varsity side, East welcomed back Judah Lewis from injury, and his return was felt immediately. Still without starter Carter Patterson due to a broken arm, the Olympians leaned on Lewis to help shoulder the load, and he delivered with 15 points while providing a much-needed boost on both ends of the floor. Keaton Lawson led all scorers with 23 points, battling constant pressure from a much taller Bloomington South lineup that worked to take away driving lanes and paint touches throughout the night. That size advantage showed early. The Olympians struggled to find rhythm offensively in the second quarter, managing just nine points, and went into halftime facing a 31–22 deficit. East was forced to grind for everything it earned, with points in the lane hard to come by against the Panthers’ length. Coming out of the locker room, the tone changed. The Olympians turned up the defensive intensity, a formula that consistently fuels their offense. East outscored Bloomington South in the third quarter, trimming the margin but still trailing 44–37 heading into the final frame. The fourth quarter showcased the Olympians at their best. East clamped down defensively, holding the Panthers to just nine points, and clawed all the way back to take a brief lead late in the game. Bloomington South answered, regaining a three-point edge in the closing moments. East had a final look from deep to force overtime, but the shot rimmed out as time expired. Despite the loss, the effort down the stretch spoke volumes. East never folded, stayed connected, and put itself in position to win against a strong opponent. Scoring for the Olympians was led by Lawson with 23 points, followed by Lewis with 15. Ben Ellegood added five points, Graham Preizer chipped in three, and Tony Cowan and Logan Neal scored two points apiece. Earlier in the evening, the JV contest delivered just as much drama. The JV Olympians carried a one-point lead in overtime, but with 6.3 seconds remaining, Bloomington South knocked down a buzzer-beating three-pointer to escape with a 58–56 victory. Ridge Koester was a force for the JV Olympians, pouring in 21 points. Miles Broaddus continued his steady scoring season with 12 points, while Jacob Thomas stepped up with 11. Kam Robertson added nine points, seven of those coming in the second half, while Josiah Shelton scored two and Jax Branaman added one. The results may not have favored Columbus East on the scoreboard, but the fight, growth, and belief shown by both squads made it clear — these Olympians are far from backing down.