Columbus East High School

After a late Friday night road trip and a hard-earned win, Columbus East returned home Saturday night to host Bloomington North in the Orange Pit. Whether it was fatigue or simply a cold start, the Olympians found themselves playing catch-up from the opening tip. Before the opening jump ball, Columbus East took time to recognize a milestone achievement by senior Keaton Lawson. Last Friday night at Scottsburg, Lawson scored the 1,000th point of his varsity career, fittingly coming off a steal. He now stands at 1,022 career points, ranking fifth on the all-time scoring list in Columbus East boys basketball history. Lawson is just the fifth player ever to reach the 1,000-point mark wearing an Olympian uniform — a testament to his work ethic, consistency, and commitment to the program. Once play began, East struggled offensively in the first quarter, managing just four points while surrendering 14 to the Cougars. That early 10-point deficit proved costly, as the Olympians spent the remainder of the night trying to close the gap. Despite the slow start, Columbus East continued to play hard and used defense to get back in the game. The Olympians made several pushes throughout the game and outscored Bloomington North in the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to single digits on multiple occasions. Each time East threatened, the Cougars responded with some timely baskets and at the free-throw line, converting 8-of-12 attempts in the final period to preserve their lead. Lawson followed up his pregame recognition with a solid night on the scoreboard, leading the Olympians with 21 points, most of them coming in the second half. Judah Lewis also elevated his play after halftime, finishing with 12 points. Freshman Miles Broaddus continued his strong stretch of play, recording his second straight double-digit scoring effort with 11 points. Ben Ellegood added seven points, and Carson Gallion rounded out the scoring with two. The varsity Olympians ultimately fell to Bloomington North by a final score of 63-55. Earlier in the evening, the Columbus East JV squad delivered another solid performance, earning a 49-43 victory over the Cougars. Ridge Koester led the way with 14 points while providing steady leadership on both ends of the floor. Kam Robertson added 12 points and was a force on the boards for the Olympians. Connor Rodarte finished with 11 points, including a timely three-pointer in the fourth quarter. Jacob Thomas chipped in five points, Josiah Shelton scored three, and Jax Branaman and Hudson Ley each added two to complete the scoring. Columbus East now heads out on the road for a two-game stretch, traveling to Brownstown Central on Thursday, February 5, and New Albany on Saturday, February 7, before returning home Tuesday, February 10 to host Mooresville.