Columbus East High School

The Columbus East boys basketball team made a triumphant return to their home court Saturday night in the Orange Pit, hosting the Scottsburg Warriors in a non-conference showdown. After a grueling stretch of three consecutive road games, the Olympians were eager to deliver a strong performance in front of their home crowd—and they did just that. The Scottsburg Warriors, last year’s 3A Indiana state basketball champions, came into the game with a significantly retooled lineup. Gone were the experienced players who had handed the Olympians a 71-51 defeat in December 2023; instead, Scottsburg fielded a young squad featuring three sophomores, a junior, and just one senior starter. Columbus East capitalized on the Warriors’ inexperience right from the start, delivering a commanding first-half performance. The Olympians’ defense was relentless, applying pressure that disrupted Scottsburg’s offensive rhythm and led to numerous transition opportunities. By halftime, the Olympians held a commanding 33-13 lead, with contributions from five different players. Carter Patterson led the charge with 12 first-half points, while Keaton Lawson added 8. The second half saw the Olympians maintain control, though their defensive intensity dipped slightly. Even so, Scottsburg was held to just 27 second-half points. Offensively, Columbus East stayed hot, particularly in the third quarter, where they matched their first-quarter output with 19 points. Senior Mason Reeves provided a spark with three three-pointers in the third quarter alone, finishing the game with 15 points (all on three pointers) and was the steady senior leader for the team. In total, seven Olympians contributed to the scoring, showcasing the team’s depth. Sophomore Judah Lewis, playing his first varsity game after sitting out the first 10 games of the season due to transfer rules and was injured for some of the JV season, made an immediate impact. Lewis tallied 9 points, provided solid defense in the backcourt, and contributed key rebounds. His performance hinted at the additional dimension he could bring to the Olympians’ lineup as the season progresses. FScore by Quarters: *Columbus East:* 19, 14, 19, 11 *Scottsburg:* 8, 5, 14, 13 Individual Scoring for Columbus East: - Carter Patterson: 16 points - Mason Reeves: 15 points - Keaton Lawson: 14 points - Judah Lewis: 9 points - Danny Coriden: 4 points - Ethan Bumbalough: 3 points - Logan Neal: 2 points Looking ahead, the Olympians face another challenging test tonight as they host the Jeffersonville Red Devils, currently ranked 19th in the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association poll. Jeffersonville boasts a 2-0 record in the Hoosier Hills Conference and an impressive 74-45 victory over Center Grove on Friday night. With a 2-1 conference record and a 10-4 overall mark, Columbus East aims to close the gap in the conference standings. Tip-off for the freshman and junior varsity games is set for 6 p.m., followed by the varsity game at 7:30 p.m. Orange Nation, let’s pack the Orange Pit and cheer on our Olympians in this pivotal match-up! Ticket info:https://public.eventlink.com/tickets?t=108787