In a rough and rugged game between two rivals, defense usually ends up deciding which team wins.

That was the case for Linn-Mar in its Mississippi Valley Conference opener Friday night against rival Washington at Linn-Mar.

The Lions used a harassing man-to-man defense and some strong foul shooting down the stretch from guards Nic Uhlir and Jordan Bohannon to down the Warriors, 53-41.

Linn-Mar Coach Chris Robertson couldn't say enough about the way his team defended against a much taller Washington squad.

"Them going and winning at Bettendorf (in Washington's season opener last Saturday) was impressive and I think that got our guys' attention," Robertson said. "I thought our guys were really locked in on defensive match-ups, making (Jared) Printy work hard coming off screens.

"They have a really nice inside-outside combination," continued the Lions' coach. "I just liked the way we locked down on them defensively."

Linn-Mar used an early spurt to grab a 15-8 lead after the first quarter. The margin grew to 20-10 when Bohannon nailed a 3-point basket midway through the second quarter.

Washington, playing with just 10 players in uniform, cut the margin to 25-20 at halftime and tied the game at 27 early in the third quarter on a tough jumper in the lane from Printy.

The Lions turned to Uhlir, who nailed a 3-point basket, then hit a pair of twos and found reserve Jason Tichy for a bucket as the lead eventually went up to five. Tichy then hit a pair of short shots to start the fourth quarter and the Lions were never headed after that point.

"We just kept grinding, like we do every day in practice," said Uhlir, who had 16 points. "We kept going, scored a few buckets, got the lead back and were able to extend it."

Tichy finished with nine points. The 6-foot-5 senior was happy he could contribute.

"I just came out and played my hardest," Tichy said. "My teammates got me the ball and I was able to put a couple in the basket."

Robertson called the game the "best one Jason has ever played. He hit some key shots and he worked very hard on the defensive end."

Once they had the lead, the Lions turned it over to Bohannon and Uhlir who did much of the ballhandling down the stretch. They combined to hit 9-of-10 from the foul line in the fourth quarter.

"We want the ball in the hands of the foul shooters and the ballhandlers at the end of the game," said Bohannon, who finished with a game-high 19 points. "We wanted to keep the possession and keep the ball in our hands as long as possible."

Maurice Arrington led the Warriors (1-1) with 13 points. Printy finished with 10.

"Once we get everybody back, I think we can gel a little," said Washington Coach Adam Sanchez. "This was a big road test for us and Linn-Mar is a veteran club. Bohannon and Uhlir are two really good guards. They are experienced and have won a lot of games by controlling the ball at the end with a lead."

Linn-Mar (2-1) is back in action at home Saturday, hosting Southeast Polk at 4:30 p.m.

WASHINGTON (41): Kramer 0 0-0 0, Hoeger 2 0-0 4, Arrington 6 1-3 13, Moore 1 0-0 3, Printy 4 1-1 10, Wills 2 2-3 7, Williams 2 0-0 4, Strait 0 0-0 0. Totals: 17 4-7 41.

LINN-MAR (53): Uhlir 5 5-7 16, Noble 2 0-1 4, Bohannon 5 7-8 19, Halupnik 0 0-2 4, Schmidt 1 1-2 3, Tichy 4 0-0 9, Murphy 0 0-0 0, Brandt 0 0-0 0, Klostermann 0 1-2 1. Totals: 17 16-25 53.

Halftime: Linn-Mar 25, Washington 20. 3-point goals: Washington 3 (Printy 1, Moore 1, Wills 1), Linn-Mar 4 (Uhlir 1, Bohannon 2, Tichy 1). Total fouls: Washington 25, Linn-Mar 16. Fouled out: none. Technical fouls: none.