Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, close family members sometimes were the only fans who were able to see the Columbus East girls basketball team play last season.
That will change this year, with most gyms back open at full capacity. So when the Olympians open the season at home against Floyd Central on Saturday, fans will be able to see the defending Hoosier Hills Conference champions take the court.
“We’re excited for the season,” East coach Danny Brown said. “Me and (assistant coach) Willie (Humes) were talking the other day — fans will finally get to see this talented team. We didn’t really have that last year. We’re excited to have the community see Columbus East girls basketball play this year, hopefully.”
The Olympians went 16-6 last season, including 7-0 in the HHC. Five of the top six and eight of the top 10 players return from that team.
“We had a good summer,” Brown said. “We concentrated on improving this team, and when we did play, we looked really good. We played well together.”
Back to lead the Olympians is 5-foot-7 senior point guard and three-time The Republic Girls Basketball Player of the Year Koryn Greiwe. Greiwe led East with 16.3 points, 4.3 assists and 3.7 steals a game last season.
Greiwe, who set the school single-game assist record with 13 last year, is within reach of becoming the school’s all-time leading scorer. She currently ranks third behind Maria Stack and Shelby Ross.
“I don’t think she’s really worried about that,” Brown said. “She’s worried about the team. She sacrificed a lot of her scoring last year for the team. She can score in bunches, and we know that, but she’s just an all-around player. Her goals would be all team goals. She’s our leader.”
Forwards Leah Bachmann (9.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg), a 6-0 junior, and 6-1 junior Saige Stahl (9.8 ppg, 5.1 ppg) were All-Conference players last season. Albany Speer (4.6 ppg), a 5-6 senior, returns in the backcourt.
Harley Gant, a 6-3 senior and a two-time state qualifier in golf, will start at center, where 6-2 senior Kaitlyn Carothers also will see action.
Three-point specialist Maeleigh Roberts (6.3 ppg), 5-5 junior who was a part-time starter last season, will come off bench.
Allison Craig, a 5-8 junior, saw some varsity action last season. Jenna Guse and Messiah Trapp, a pair of 5-9 sophomores, are up from the JV. Also on this year’s varsity will be 5-6 junior Brielle Stevens and 5-7 senior Jordan Sims.
“Albany has the experience,” Brown said. “Saige is as athletic as anybody, and Leah is as competitive as anybody. Harley is a good passer in the post, and she has that competitive spirit. I think she gets that from golf. That competitiveness is just contagious for the team.
“Coming off the bench, we have instant offense in Maeleigh, and Allison is capable,” he added. “Jenna is fast and quick, and Messiah has a nose for the ball.”
One player East won’t have this season is 6-4 junior Gabby Dean. Dean, who averaged 7.8 points and a team-high 7.2 rebounds, has committed to Illinois for volleyball and will focus on that sport.
“Gabby has secured a volleyball scholarship,” Brown said. “That’s what it’s all about. She is going to concentrate on volleyball. We wish her nothing but the best.”
Brown has beefed up the schedule this season. The Olympians will host perennial powers Hamilton Southeastern and Fishers in the East Classic and added a game at Ben Davis and home contests with Zionsville and defending Class 3A state champion Silver Creek.
East also will visit Columbus North after the two teams did not play last season while the Bull Dogs were in quarantine.
“We’re defending conference champs, and we have a target on our back,” Brown said. “We play in one of the toughest sectionals in the state, and our goal is to win that. We’ve beefed up the schedule to prepare us for that.
“We played one of the toughest schedules in the state last year, and now, adding what we have this year, it’s going to prepare us for the sectional,” he added. “We want to play the top competition. Every day, we talk about getting better and trying to win our sectional. There are a lot of tough teams in our sectional and a lot of experienced teams, just like us.”
