CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- The Cleveland Rockers used a key late 8-0 run and held on to match their win total from last season with a 64-61 victory over the Phoenix Mercury.

Cleveland led by as much as 13 points in the second half but squandered the lead until reeling off eight straight points, starting with Rushia Brown's free throw with 3:27 remaining. Chasity Melvin followed with a pair of free throws 19 seconds later to give the Rockers the lead for good, 58-57.

Eva Nemcova sank a 3-pointer with 2:31 left and Brown's layup capped the burst for a 63-57 advantage with 1:14 to go.

Michelle Griffiths made a 3-pointer to pull Phoenix within 63-61 with 24 seconds to play. Melvin was fouled after taking the inbounds pass and made one foul shot for the final margin.

Tonya Edwards missed two jumpers before Griffiths took a 3-pointer from the right wing that bounced off the rim as time expired.

Brown, Melvin and Nemcova each scored 13 points for Cleveland (7-5), which finished a league-worst 7-25 last season. Brown, who made just her second start of the season, led the Rockers with nine rebounds.

"I like to start and I also like coming off the bench, but I just love to play," Brown said. "Tonight's game was a big confidence-booster for us after Saturday's loss. We seem to have trouble in the second half because teams adjust on us and it takes us more time to adjust to them. We just have to adjust more quickly."

Cleveland had lost two straight and four of its last five games, including Saturday's 60-57 overtime setback to Minnesota.

"It was a big win for us," said Cleveland guard Suzie McConnell-Serio, who had seven assists. "It was a big win for us. When you come off a loss it really shows what you are made of. We came out fighting. We came out strong in the first half and we held off their runs. It was a great team victory. We need to be more consistent. Whether we've been winning or losing at halftime we come out sluggish in the first five minutes. That's when we need to make some good decisions."

Brandy Reed scored 19 points and Jennifer Gillom added 15 for Phoenix, which had a three-game winning streak snapped. Gillom made 2-of-3 shots from behind the arc, but the Mercury shot just 27 percent (4-for-15) from 3-point range.

"I'll give Cleveland a lot of credit because they came out with a lot of intensity," Phoenix coach Cheryl Miller said. "They made some tough shots and made a great run inm the first half. I thought defesively we got after them in the second half."

Nemcova and Brown each scored 10 points in the first half when when the Rockers made 52 percent (15-of-29) of their shots from the floor and opened a 42-31 lead.

Gillom made a layup to start the second half, but Jones answered with consecutive jumpers to give Cleveland a 46-33 lead with 17:24 to play.

Phoenix scored eight straight points, including six by Reed, and cut the deficit to 53-52 on her layup with 5:05 left.

Melvin responded with a layup to give Cleveland a 55-52 edge with 4:38 to play. Griffiths had a layup and free throw with 4:16 remaining and Reed's layup gave the Mercury their first lead of the second half at 57-56 with 3:47 to go.