GUARDED CLOSE — Big Red’s Aiden Davis is surrounded by University defenders as he looks to make a pass during Tuesday’s OVAC Class 5A semifinal inside the Crimson Center. Davis had a game-high 22 points to lead Big Red to an 82-69 victory. - Andrew Grimm

STEUBENVILLE — Big Red did not get off to the best start shooting the ball or rebounding Tuesday night hosting University in the OVAC 5A tournament semifinals.

Once they settled in, however, everything started clicking.

After trailing at the end of the first quarter and having to use a timeout when the visiting Hawks opened a nine-point lead early in the second quarter, Steubenville scored the next 21-straight points, closing the first half on a 24-2 run to lead by 13 at the break and did not look back from there, advancing to Saturday’s conference championship with a 82-69 victory.

“We talked about it after the first quarter, they were hurting us on offensive rebounds and putbacks … we didn’t play a very good first quarter but we were only down three,” Big Red head coach Mike Haney said. “That second quarter we played better defense, started creating turnovers and hitting shots. Once our shots start falling, we can score in a hurry.

“It just seems like when we start playing good defense, getting turnovers and making layups, then we hit a 3, all of the sudden we’ve got our juices flowing.”

The 21-0 run in the second turned a nine-point hole into a double-digit lead, Aiden Davis sparking it with a pair of 3s while Tre Wiggins sunk a 3 at the buzzer before the break to extend the lead. The Hawks (11-5) got within eight in the third quarter, but Big Red (16-2) was able to push back away, leading by as many as 17 in the fourth.

After scoring just 12 in the opening quarter, Steubenville racked up 21 or more in each of the final three quarters. While defense was key as it usually is, so was sharing the ball as all five Big Red starters reached double figures and Steubenville had 22 assists as a team.

“We were doing a really good job of sharing the ball,” Haney said. “At the end when they were pressing us we were able to get the ball up and get some layups. (The starters) had all 82 of the points, but the guys that came off the bench did a good job getting rebounds and playing defense, it was a total team effort.”

Davis, who hit six 3-pointers in the game, racked up a game-high 22 points, also tallying three assists, three rebounds and a steal, while Santino Haney finished with a double-double with 16 points, 11 assists, four rebounds and three steals. Wiggins netted 17 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals, Will Taylor scored eight in the fourth quarter to finish with 15 points, five rebounds and three assists and Cole Bowers netted 12 points and three rebounds.

For University, Glenn Brown led the way with 21 points off the bench, including six 3s, while tallying four assists. Zach Demidovich netted 13 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two steals, while Luke Byrer finished with 15 points, which was leading the team when he fouled out early in the fourth quarter.

“University is a great team, they have some players that can shoot it,” Haney said. “Inside they are bigger than us, (Brown) was really lighting it up hitting some shots. We just kept playing as a team.”

UP NEXT

University: Will play Parkersburg South in the third-place consolation game on Friday night.

Big Red: Will take on top seed Morgantown in the Class 5A championship game at noon Saturday at the ECO Center. Before then, however, they host River tonight on senior night in a makeup game following the girls East District tournament opener.

OVAC Boys Basketball Tournament

Class 5A Semifninals

No. 2 Steubenville 82, No. 3 University 69

U 15-11-21-22 – 69

S 12-27-21-22 – 82

UNIVERSITY (11-5): Demidovich 5 3-3 13; Adams 3 0-0 7; Karpinski 2 0-0 5; Lewis 4 0-1 8; Byrer 7 0-0 15; Brown 7 1-2 21; Barnes 0 0-0 0; Weaver 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 28, 4-6; 69.

STEUBENVILLE (16-2): Davis 7 2-4 22; Haney 6 4-6 16; Wiggins 7 1-2 17; Bowers 5 0-0 12; Taylor 7 1-1 15; Hinton 0 0-0 0; Adams 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 32, 8-13; 82.

3-POINTERS: University 9 (Brown 6, Adams, Byrer, Karpinski); Steubenville 10 (Davis 6, Bowers 2, Wiggins 2). ASSISTS: University 15 (Demidovich 3, Adams 3); Steubenville 22 (Haney 11). REBOUNDS: University 26 (Demidovich 9); Steubenville 23 (Wiggins 5, Taylor 5). STEALS: University 3 (Demidovich 2); Steubenville 8 (Haney 3, Wiggins 3). TURNOVERS: University 8; Steubenville 10.