T-L Photo/RICK THORP St. Clairsville’s Justin Heatherington (34) drives to the basket Wednesday night. Trailing the play is teammate Brett Vike (5).

CAMBRIDGE — Time outs can be called for many reasons. Mostly, coaches call them because their trying halt the flow of a game — one way or another.

For John Glenn head coach T.J. Mitchell, his request for a stoppage with 3:43 remaining in the third quarter of Wednesday night’s Ohio Division II East 1 district semifinal was because St. Clairsville had whittled a double-digit lead down to seven.

“I told them that with a team like (St. Clairsville) we can’t hold anything back,” he said. “I said we had to make sure we continued to be fundamental on defense and to get the ball moving on offense.”

Mitchell’s players heeded his words, scoring 12 straight out of the break en route to a 70-52 victory inside the Gene Ford Gymnasium at Cambridge High School.

John Glenn (21-4) will play Steubenville for the district title Saturday night at 7 at Claymont High School in Uhrichsville. Big Red downed Harrison Central in the other district semi at Buckeye Local.

“They have 20 wins for a reason,” said St. Clairsville head coach Ryan Clifford, who wrapped up his first season as the Red Devils head coach at 17-7.

“I thought we guarded them pretty well. We had a good understanding of what they were trying to do. But when you’re not very efficient on offense, which we weren’t (Wednesday) — and that’s been our trademark all season — there’s only so many stops you get before you have to score every time.”

One of the few times the Red Devils looked efficient with the ball was early in the third quarter. Craig Bober scored St. C.’s first six points of the second half — the final three on a 3-point play — in trimming John Glenn’s lead to 36-28.

Devan Burris put the Little Muskies up 10 moments later before Brett Vike hit one his four 3s. Burris went inside for another bucket before Bober answered at the other end. Then, Mitchell called what turned out being the game-altering time out.

The Red Devils committed some unforced errors after the time out resulting in a pair of John Glenn layups — both coming off offensive rebounds — that made the score 44-33. After Clifford called time with 1:52 left in the period, John Glenn kept the pressure on by scoring eight more points, capped by back-to-back 3s by Josh Raley and Jack Williams making the score 52-33.

“Hats off to them,” Clifford said. “They guarded us and did what they had to do. I just wish we would’ve brought our ‘A’ game.”

Nate Harris put St. Clairsville up 11-7 late in the first quarter. John Glenn answered with a 9-0 run, capped by a 3 from Reece Perkins, one of seven recorded on the night by the Little Muskies.

Bober drained a pair of free throws early in the second quarter bringing the Red Devils to within three — 16-13 — but John Glenn scored six straight before carrying a 10-point lead for most of the quarter.

The Little Muskies’ defense harassed St. Clairsville all night and made it difficult for the Red Devils to establish any type of rhythm.

“I’m not sure we put our best foot forward, especially on offense,” Clifford said. “We did some uncharacteristic things. We’ve been free-flowing and unselfish, and we were (Wednesday), but we just couldn’t get the ball to go in the basket.

“(John Glenn) does have tournament experience, and maybe that was a difference. We were just a little unsure of ourselves on what we were doing, and that hasn’t been us all season, especially on the offensive end.”

Raley paced the Little Muskies with 20 points. Jack Williams finished with 12.

Bober, Vike and Dylan Busby all collected 14 points for the 2018-19 Red Devils, who became the ninth team in school history to win 17 games or more.

“We won the (Buckeye 8), got to the final in the OVAC … there were a lot of things to be proud of,” Clifford offered.

“I’m especially proud of my seniors. Some of them, I told them afterwards, I’ve known longer than my kids have been alive. I love those guys. That’s what makes this hard.”