Chargers' defense keys win.

Byline: Adam Jude The Register-Guard

The message was delivered in two key forms.

After watching his team offer a lethargic defensive effort in the season opener Friday, Eugene Chargers coach Scott Jones gave verbal directives to his players at every chance Saturday.

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"I hounded them," he said.

In addition, a hand-written reminder - printed as neat as a letter to grandma - was a clear and constant presence at the front of the team locker room.

From the beginning Saturday, it was clear the Chargers received the message. They stifled the Tacoma Jazz early and overcame a string of miscues late to hold on for a 119-108 victory in an International Basketball League game before 353 fans at the Morse Event Center.

It's the first win for Jones in his first season.

"We have a lot of faith in our coach. He's a wonderful guy," said Eugene reserve guard Solomon Yearby, who had a game-high 23 points. "He knows the game, and he has a passion for winning. He gave us the key to winning tonight - which was defense."

Jones harassed his team at halftime of Friday's season-opening loss, in which the Chargers allowed 141 points. He repeated the message after that game. And again at Saturday morning's shootaround. And again before the game.

All with the same bullet points - defense and rebounding.

"I don't want to keep repeating myself, guys," he told the team, "but these are fundamental things that have to be done."

The Chargers (1-1) jumped on Tacoma (0-2) right away, building a 19-9 lead after Lamar Harris' 360-degree dunk and a pair of free throws from Tryian Ridges.

Tacoma missed nine consecutive shots in one stretch at the end of the first quarter and the beginning of the second. The Jazz shot 26.2 percent from the field in the first half, with very few fast-break chances, and the Chargers led 61-34 at the break.

"Everything was so much improved," Jones said. "Everyone worked with energy. We did a good job of getting back."

Yearby shined offensively, scoring 13 first-half points and coming off the bench late to deliver a key pass to Harris, who took the lob for an alley-oop dunk with 2:42 left.

That all but ended a furious surge for Tacoma, which used a full-court press to cut a 32-point deficit to 109-100 with 3:02 left.

Yearby, 6-foot-3 guard from Mulga, Ala., who doubles as a professional model, was 8-for-14 from the field and 4-for-8 on three-point attempts.

"He was throwing those daggers down from the three-point line every time they would make a run. He had a huge game," Jones said.

Charles Easterling had 20 points and nine rebounds for the Chargers, Antwon Mills had 19 and Jamar Bohannon had 13. Adam Zahn had 11 points, and Thurston High product Eric Orton started and scored eight points.

Ridges added 10 assists for the second straight night for the Chargers, who play host to Chico on Thursday.

"Not to get ahead of ourselves, but if we work together and gel, there's no reason we can't be one of the top teams in this league," Ridges said.