TACOMA, Wash. – Reid Jones and AJ Rohosy paced a balanced offense with 10 points apiece as the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's basketball won a close defensive battle 64-60 at Pacific Lutheran in a battle of regional rivals on Friday evening.

With the win, CMS improves to 2-0 after opening up the season with a win over Linfield last Friday, while Pacific Lutheran drops to 1-1 with the loss.

Caelan Jones, Neil Owens and Will Householter each had nine points, and Robert Power had eight for the Stags, which had its top six scorers finish within two points of each other. Rohosy nearly had a double-double with nine rebounds, while Power paced the defense with three steals.

With the score tied 50-50, Householter hit a pair of foul shots to give the Stags the lead for good. Rohosy followed with a lay-up to put the Stags up by four, and with the score 55-52, Reid Jones had a steal and breakaway to give CMS a five-point lead with 3:58 left.

Pacific Lutheran scored the next four points to close to within one at 57-56. Rohosy then made the first of two foul shots, and back-rimmed the second, when Reid Jones flew in and grabbed the rebound, drawing a foul and making both to make it a two-possession lead at 60-56 with 1:22 to go.

The Lutes cut the lead in half with 1:07 left, and after a stop, they had a look at a three-pointer to take the lead with 22 seconds left, but didn't connect.  Caelan Jones came down with a clutch rebound in traffic, making both foul shots to extend the lead to 62-58. The Lutes scored with 2.5 seconds left, but Caelan Jones sealed it with two more foul shots.  

The Stags trailed 15-8 early, but were able to turn it around with a 19-3 run to go ahead 27-18 on a pair of Caelan Jones foul shots, before settling for a 31-28 lead at the break. Power hit two straight shots to start the run, and Householter hit a three-pointer to tie it 15-15.

Cahal Connolly added a basket, and Neil Owens hit a three-pointer to put CMS ahead 24-18. Dom Perrasso hit two straight threes in the final minute to get the Lutes back within 31-28 at the break.

CMS will be back in action tomorrow when it completes its two-game road trip with a game at Puget Sound at 6 p.m.