Columbus East High School

Columbus East Olympians boys basketball team defrosted a chilly start Saturday night to capture a commanding 75-59 victory over Hoosier Hills Conference foe Floyd Central Highlanders in the Orange Pit. Much like other Olympian squads this week, the team faced limited practice time due to a snowstorm that blanketed Bartholomew County, which seemed to contribute to a sluggish first-half performance. From the opening tip, Floyd Central had a clear game plan: feed the ball inside and exploit their size advantage for high-percentage shots. The Highlanders executed well, slicing through the Olympians’ defense with dribble penetration to create easy buckets in the paint. Adding to Columbus East’s troubles, Floyd Central applied relentless defensive pressure on the Olympians' leading scorer, Keaton Lawson, preventing him from attacking the basket effectively. Trailing 15-13 after the first quarter, Columbus East relied on senior Mason Reeves to keep them within striking distance. Reeves provided five points in the opening frame, including a key three-pointer. The second quarter looked much like the first, with Floyd Central controlling the paint and disrupting Columbus East’s offensive rhythm. Despite the defensive struggles, Reeves drained two more three-pointers, and junior Carter Patterson chipped in five points, including a triple, keeping the Olympians down by just three at halftime, 30-27. After regrouping in the locker room, Columbus East returned to the court with renewed energy. In a pivotal third quarter, five different Olympians contributed to the scoring, while the defense clamped down to hold the Highlanders to just 11 points—their lowest output of the game. Lawson found his groove, dropping seven points, and senior Danny Coriden caught fire, hitting two three-pointers to help flip the script and give the Olympians a 47-41 lead entering the final frame. The fourth quarter was a scoring explosion for Columbus East, as they poured in 28 points to slam the door on Floyd Central. Once again, five different Olympians got on the board, with Lawson netting nine points and Coriden continuing his hot shooting with another seven. The team’s composure at the free throw line sealed the win, going 9-for-10 from the stripe in the final period. Lawson led all scorers with 20 points, while Reeves and Coriden each tallied 17. Patterson showed consistent effort across all four quarters, finishing with 14 points, while Ethan Bumbalough added six, and Jayden Thompson chipped in one. With the win, the Olympians improved to 9-1 on the season and 2-0 in conference play. Next up is a busy week on the road, with games at Shelbyville on Tuesday, Bloomington South on Friday, and Seymour on Saturday. It’s a pivotal stretch as Columbus East looks to keep their momentum rolling.