T-L Photo/SETH STASKEY ST. CLAIRSVILLE’S Katie Strama goes down the lane for a bucket as Union Local’s Allison Loase defends during Monday’s game on John Jenkins Court. The Red Devils prevailed, 44-42.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Finding a way to win close games is a good sign of athletic maturation.

In the early portion of the season, thus far, St. Clairsville coach Stacey Agnew has seen his team find a way to win a couple of nip-and-tuck games already. The Red Devils added another to the list Monday evening.

Fighting back from as many as eight down in the first half, the Red Devils staved off Union Local, which had three good looks at the bucket in the final seconds that would have won the game, 44-42, on John Jenkins Court at St. Clairsville High School.

“These types of games will make you better in the long run,” Agnew said. “So many different kids made big plays. As a team, we’re really getting better and we’re learning to win. Once you learn to win, good things start to happen. There’s no doubt in my mind that we lose this game last year.”

The Red Devils nearly had a case of deja vu dating back a season as the final moments unfolded.

A Macy Malin field goal gave the Devils a 42-36 lead with just over four minutes to play in the game. But, the Jets, who are now 3-4 on the season, weren’t about to go quietly.

Hannah Porter kept getting to the foul line and sank three-of-four opportunities and then dialed long distance on a 3-pointer from the top of the key, which brought the Jets within one at 43-42 with a minute to go.

The Jets fouled and Malin, who had struggled at the line in the fourth, got one to go down, giving the Devils the 44-42 upperhand.

Union Local came up empty and before it could foul, the Devils turned the ball over, which set up the final barrage, which Agnew watched with bated breath.

“If I had any hair, I would have pulled it all out (in the final moments),” Angew laughed. “No. Union Local’s got girls who have been playing for three and four years. They’re a good, solid team, so this is a good win for us.”

All Union Local rookie head coach Rob Barr could do is shrug his shoulders.

“That’s basketball,” Barr said. “We had our best shooter taking those shots to win a game. Sometimes they go in, sometimes they don’t. That’s how the game goes.”

The Devils, who were coming off a week layoff, looked sluggish at the outset, but closed the half on a 6-0 run to began their climb back. They continued their momentum in the third when they outscored the Jets, 15-9, to take a 31-27 lead into the fourth.

Barr pointed to that spurt at the end of the half as extremely costly for his team.

“I wish we had turned in a little bit more when we had that eight-point lead,” Barr lamented. “If we played with the same intensity that we had in the fourth quarter throughout the game, at that time, (the lead) probably does grow. We have to play with that kind of intensity for an entire game and that’s something we talked to the girls about. It’ll come.”

St. Clairsville was able to get the job done despite its leader, Katie Strama, spending most of the fourth quarter on the bench in foul trouble. She returned briefly before picking up her fifth foul. She scored scored 13 points to lead the way.

Senior Rileigh Simpson added 12 and Malin finished with eight.

Union Local wasle dby Allison Loase’s game-high 15. Casey Kildow added eight.

The Red Devils have a quick turnaround. They welcome Cambridge on Wednesday, while UL visits rival Barnesville on Thursday.