Columbus East High School

Hosting HHC rival New Albany on Saturday afternoon in the Orange Pit, the Columbus East girls basketball team showed resilience and fight, but ultimately came up short in a 50–40 loss to the Bulldogs. Coming off a heartbreaking loss to Seymour earlier in the week, the Olympians were eager to respond and make a push for their first conference win. Early on, it was clear the effort was there. Despite some early bumps, East stayed right with New Albany and trailed just 13–11 at the end of the first quarter. Krea Martin, Lola Watkins, and Brelyn Pool each connected from beyond the arc to keep the Olympians firmly in contention. The second quarter continued to be a competitive back-and-forth. Columbus East matched the Bulldogs point for point, with Kenzie Cheek and Brelyn Pool each knocking down three-pointers of their own. At halftime, New Albany held a slim 26–24 advantage, and the game was very much up for grabs. Defense took center stage in the third quarter. Both teams struggled to generate offense as pressure increased on both ends of the floor. The Olympians managed just two points in the quarter, both coming at the free-throw line from Hayden Meek, while New Albany scored six. Even with the low-scoring stretch, the Bulldogs were able to extend their lead to 32–26 heading into the final period. Columbus East saved its best offensive quarter for the fourth, pouring in 14 points and refusing to fade quietly. Unfortunately, New Albany answered with 18 points of its own to seal the win. The second half turned into a physical, whistle-heavy stretch, with 38 free throws attempted after halftime—28 of them in the fourth quarter alone. Two Olympians fouled out, something the team had not experienced all season, underscoring just how hard-fought the contest became. Despite the final score, the Olympians were in the game from start to finish, playing with effort and intensity throughout. They simply couldn’t close the gap when it mattered most. Brelyn Pool, Kenzie Cheek, and Lola Watkins each led the way with eight points apiece. Ella Anthis added seven points, Hayden Meek chipped in four, Krea Martin scored three, and Bailey Rhode rounded out the scoring with two points. Columbus East now turns its attention to another challenging HHC matchup, traveling to North Vernon on Thursday, January 22, to face the Jennings County Panthers—a team currently sitting in a three-way tie for first place in the conference. The road ahead is demanding, but the Olympians continue to compete, learn, and battle every possession.