Columbus East High School

The Columbus East girls basketball team came up just short Saturday afternoon, falling 39–38 to Crawford County in a tightly contested DiTech Holiday Tournament matchup at Hauser High School. Shorthanded for the afternoon, the Olympians were without two senior starters, Kenzie Cheek and Ella Anthis, who did not play due to illness and injury. Even so, Columbus East battled possession by possession and stayed locked in a one-score game throughout. Lola Watkins led the Olympians with 12 points, providing steady offense when it was needed most. Brelyn Poole followed with 10 points, while London Cline, Allison Halstead, and Hayden Meek each contributed five points. Emma Armstrong chipped in one point. Columbus East had a chance to pull out the win late, inbounding the ball with four seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, but the final shot wouldn’t fall as the Wolfpack escaped with the one-point victory. Despite the setback, the performance showed depth and resilience from the Olympians under difficult circumstances. Columbus East will look to bounce back quickly, returning to action tonight at 8 p.m. in the Hauser Fieldhouse on Court One, where they will face the Austin Eagles(7-5). Winner of this game will play for 5th place on Saturday, December 27th at 2 p.m. in the main gymnasium. The loser will play for 7th place on Saturday at 12 p.m.