Columbus East Boys Basketball Extends Perfect Start

The Columbus East boys basketball team continued their hot start to the season with back-to-back victories over the weekend, improving to 3-0.

The Olympians hosted Trinity Lutheran at the Orange Pit and exploded to a 33-9 first-quarter lead, fueled by junior Keaton Lawson, who scored 23 points in the opening frame. East coasted to an 83-61 victory, with Lawson finishing with an incredible 44 points, believed to be a new single-game school record. Carter Patterson added 13 points, while Mason Reeves chipped in 11, including three three-pointers.

On Saturday, East traveled to face Class 2A No. 13 Southwestern Hanover, a team that had beaten them six consecutive times. The Olympians flipped the script, earning a hard-fought 71-55 win. Lawson led the way again with 21 points, while senior guard Ethan Bumbalough drained four three-pointers en route to 20 points. Patterson contributed 14 points, and Reeves added 12 to round out the balanced attack.

The Olympians face a challenging weekend ahead with games against Hoosier Hills Conference foe Bedford North-Lawrence on Friday and sectional rival Franklin Community on Saturday.