Jason Mitchell
The ball is inbounded. The clock shows 15 seconds left, and Poly is down one point. The crowd rises, staring in awe as the final seconds trudge on by. As the play is recited, the ball reaches the hands of Lori Ohanian. She paces herself down to the half-court line, unfazed by the crowd howling and the lights shivering; it’s all background noise. In her mind, it’s just any other play, and she has one goal in mind: to score and win. Finally, she is in range of the hoop and takes the shot. The ball is in the air, and before you know it, it’s in the hoop. Bzzzzzt! The Panthers’ hot streak continues.
Throughout this year’s basketball season, freshman point guard Ohanian has maintained her positive, persevering attitude both on and off the court aiding the team to their 18-5 record, being 8-1 in the league (2nd). She currently averages 11.2 points per game; 2.3 assists; 4.3 rebounds per game; 3.7 steals per game; 0.3 blocks per game; and 23.9 minutes per game, respectively, proving her value on both sides of the playing field.
When naming Ohanian’s assets , it’s tough to mention every single one. To start off, head coach Kianna Flannagan highlighted Ohanian’s resilience : “Lori never gives up. She never shows when she’s flustered. She is always ready for the next challenge.”
Junior guard Areni Ohanian, Ohanian’s older sister , added, “Lori brings a lot of energy to the team, always making people laugh and happy. On the court, Lori has become a crucial part of our team, and our dynamic would be thrown off without her.”
Finally, sophomore forward Magdalena Scholze affirmed Ohanian’s dominance on the court as a triple threat, specifying, “She is just a monster on the court. She is a great point-guard. She knows what to do. She can handle the ball. She can shoot. She can pass. She is everything we needed.”
Despite this high praise, Ohanian admits that she’s faced some obstacles. She said, “A challenge that I have faced this season is feeling nervous and scared before playing big games. Especially early on in the season, easing my nerves was something I struggled with.”
But, she added, Ohanian has been working on her self-assurance, claiming, “With the help of my teammates and coaches, I was able to gain confidence and learn how to stay focused.”
In addition, Flannagan mentioned, “It’s really about giving Lori the confidence to go out there and play her game and understand that just because she is a freshman, she does not have to fear.”
In just her first season on the team, Ohanian has had many breakout performances. On Thursday, Dec. 10, 2025, Poly faced league opponent Westridge. Flannagan recalls, “Lori scored 31 points against Westridge. To have that mentality to go out and score 31 points in her freshman year is very impressive. Since I have been at Poly, we have not had a freshman score 31 points in a game.”
As the season passes its midway mark, Ohanian has set herself a few objectives to accomplish, sharing, “My goals for this season are to contribute to team success and grow as a leader. Beyond this season, I hope to keep developing both athletically and mentally. I’m taking steps toward these goals by staying consistent with training, learning from every experience, and listening to my coaches and teammates.” Ohanian has the potential to build a legacy at Poly as she continues to work and grow with the team, and the community is excited to see what is to come for the young star.