The Columbus East Olympians will head out on the road to take on the Jennings County Panthers at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Columbus East scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Saturday. They blew past New Albany, posting a 65-31 win at home. For those curious, yes, that was the biggest win Columbus East has managed all season.
Meanwhile, Jennings County stacked an 11th blowout win onto their ever-increasing hoard on Friday. They blew past Greenwood 65-11 at home. Given Jennings County's advantage in MaxPreps' Indiana basketball rankings (they are ranked eighth, while Greenwood is ranked 222nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Jennings County's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Mollie Ernstes led the charge by scoring ten points along with five rebounds and four steals. Ernstes has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last three times she's played. Another player making a difference was Juliann Woodard, who dropped a double-double on 11 points and ten rebounds.
Columbus East's win ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 6-13. As for Jennings County, the win makes it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 17-3.
Columbus East might still be hurting after the 68-46 defeat they got from Jennings County when the teams last played back in January of 2023. Can Columbus East avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
