Columbus — The 2024-25 girls basketball season began Friday night in North Columbus as the Centennial Lady Stars hosted the Eastmoor Academy Lady Warriors. It was both teams’ first official game since March, with each looking to find its rhythm early in the new season.
Eastmoor Academy quickly took control, taking advantage of Centennial’s turnovers to quickly jump to an 8-3 lead with 5:05 left in the first quarter. This prompted a timeout from Centennial Head Coach Ernest Bell, who addressed his team’s slow start. “Sometimes you have to remind them where you are and what you’re here for,” Bell said. “We had to wake up and play the game like it’s our last. Not every game is going to be easy.”
The timeout proved effective, as the Lady Stars finished the first quarter strong with a 12-4 run, taking a 17-12 lead over Eastmoor Academy. The momentum carried into the second quarter. Leading 25-18 with about three minutes remaining in the half, Centennial exploded on a 13-0 run, entering halftime with a commanding 38-18 lead.
Centennial’s ability to capitalize on turnovers was key to their success, as the Lady Stars forced 21 turnovers in the game. “Defensively, we really stepped it up in the second half, but we still need to clean up some things,” Coach Bell said. “We weren’t always where we needed to be, but it’s the first game of the season, and we’re shaking off the rust from last year.”
Centennial sealed the win with a running clock, outscoring Eastmoor Academy 32-13 in the second half to claim a 64-31 victory in their season opener. Kennedy Houston led the way with 22 points, nine steals, and seven assists, posting a +23 efficiency rating. Despite the success off turnovers, Coach Bell noted the risks they took, saying, “In pressure situations, we need to avoid gambling as much as we did tonight. We were fortunate to come out with the win.”
Kayla Houston added a double-double, scoring 20 points and grabbing 12 rebounds, while Aza Corbett came close to her own double-double, finishing with 8 points and 16 rebounds, including seven offensive boards. Cooper Neff contributed with nine points and seven rebounds, shooting 50% from beyond the arc.
While it wasn’t flawless, Coach Bell was pleased with the way the game ended. “We came out with a win tonight, and we gave it our best,” he said. “There are little things to clean up, like better rebounding and more discipline in the 2-3 zone when we play it.” Centennial (1-0) will host Linden-McKinley in their next game on December 3rd.
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