Basketball Game Preview: Polytechnic Panthers vs. Shalhevet Firehawks

The Polytechnic Panthers will take on the Shalhevet Firehawks at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Polytechnic is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They put the hurt on Walnut with a sharp 60-39 win. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Panthers' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 198th, while the Mustangs are ranked 419th).

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Polytechnic to victory, but perhaps none more so than Areni Ohanian, who dropped a double-double with 18 points and 11 boards. Another player making a difference was Lori Ohanian, who posted 15 points and five steals.

Polytechnic smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in 30 consecutive games dating back to last season.

Bolsa Grande typically has all the answers at home, but on Thursday Shalhevet proved too difficult a challenge. They blew past the Matadors 51-30.

Polytechnic has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won nine of their last ten matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 22-6 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 61.7 points over those games. As for Shalhevet, their win bumped their record up to 14-8.

Polytechnic was able to grind out a solid victory over Shalhevet in their previous meeting back in December of 2018, winning 36-24. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Panthers since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.