North Alumni nip East in fundraiser

Members of the Columbus North and Columbus East alumni basketball teams compete in a game at Columbus East High School in Columbus, Ind., Thursday, Aug. 22, 2019. East senior Olivia Linnemann organized the game for her senior project to help raise money to purchase jerseys for the North and East Unified basketball teams. Mike Wolanin | The Republic

The scoreboard listed Columbus North as the winner by one point over Columbus East, but the real winners Thursday night were the Unified basketball players and the special education departments at the two schools.

East cross-country and track standout and former basketball player Olivia Linnemann put together an Alumni hoops contest between the two schools for her senior project. Proceeds will go to purchase uniforms for the Unified basketball players.

"I thought it was a great setup," said 2015 North graduate Kooper Glick said. "It was a good game for a good cause. We wanted to show class while we were playing and also have fun."

The game went down to the wire. The Bull Dogs trailed by as many as 13 points in the third quarter and were down 78-75 with just over two minutes remaining before scoring 10 consecutive points and then holding on for an 85-84 victory.

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"We just came together as Bull Dogs," said Glick, who led North with 36 points and nine rebounds. "We came together as one, as a team, the Bull Dog way."

Trailing by three, Kooper’s older brother Sawyer hit a free throw and then a go-ahead 3-pointer. Trent Larson and Kooper Glick then each converted 3-point plays to give North an 85-78 lead with 27 seconds remaining.

"I think some of our guys just shot their shots that they usually hit," said Larson, also a 2015 North graduate. "After we made those shots, we got back in a grove. KJ (Kevin Johnson) came in there and had some big plays for us. That was our sparkplug and got us going."

The Olympians weren’t done, though. Josh McDonald hit 3-pointers with 18 seconds left and again with seven seconds remaining to cut the lead to one. After Sawyer Glick missed the front end of a one-and-one, East’s Ally Bunch rebounded and passed ahead to McDonald, whose 3-point attempt at the buzzer fell short.

Larson finished with 20 points. Sawyer Glick added 13, while Cameron Ziegler scored eight and Jenna Borger added six.

"It definitely felt good to be back out there, back playing with the Glicks and some of those other people I played with," Larson said. "It’s a lot of fun."

Ben Slaton, a 2005 East graduate who went on to play three years at Butler, led the Olympians with 17 points and nine rebounds.

"It was a lot of fun," Slaton said. "I haven’t been in this gym for a long time, so it’s good to be back here playing with some of my old buddies from high school."

Matt Sackman added 16 points and seven rebounds for East. McDonald finished with 15 points, while Ryan Crase scored 12 and Bunch had 11.

"I’m a little rough around the edges," said Bunch, a 2014 East grad who played two years at IPFW. "It’s been awhile. I tried to stay active, though. I get some pickup games at Total (Fitness) every now and then. It was so fun, and to come out for a good cause, it definitely makes it worth it."