CLINTON — Coach Kori Babb smiled a little as she called her Vicksburg Missy Gators a “second-half team.”

They certainly played better over those last 40 minutes than the first on Tuesday night against Clinton. They just didn’t play well enough to pull out a victory.

Heather Miller used the side of her foot to bloop in a tiebreaking goal 11 minutes into the second half, and Clinton hung on to beat Vicksburg 2-1.

Julie Turner also scored for Clinton (11-2-3, 2-0 Division 3-6A), which outshot Vicksburg 11-0 in the first half but could never really put the game away. Raven Lawrence tied it early in the second half before Miller’s goal put the Lady Arrows ahead for good a few minutes later. The teams spent the last 30 minutes in a defensive stalemate where few quality scoring chances were generated.

“We are just a second-half team. I always say if we can keep a team scoreless in the first half. we can usually pull a win out. I think it just takes us a while to get settled in, figure out the other team’s formations, what type of players they have, how to cover. And I switched a formation on them,” Babb said. “It did help us defensively. We did prevent more shots close to halftime and definitely in the second half. It’s nothing I say, that’s just how we play. I’m not sure why.”

The loss wasn’t necessarily all bad for Vicksburg (5-6, 0-2). It lost its first meeting to Clinton by five goals, and the one-goal margin in the rematch could prove beneficial toward playoff tiebreakers. Goal differential against division opponents is the second tiebreaker, meaning the Missy Gators could have a leg up on Warren Central and Greenville-Weston if Clinton can rout both of those teams.

Vicksburg and Warren Central play each other on Thursday, then again next Tuesday in two games that should determine one of the two playoff spots in Division 3-6A.

Clinton dominated the first half against Vicksburg. The only thing keeping its huge shot total from turning into a pile of goals was the stellar play of VHS keeper Robin Cooper. The senior made seven saves in the first half, nine in the game, and knocked away three shots with diving saves. She jumped to trap another on the underside of the crossbar before securing it.

With so many shots coming Cooper’s way, however, it was only a matter of time before the Lady Arrows got one past her. At the midpoint of the first half, Clinton’s Kristen Little blooped a long cross from the right side to just in front of the goal. Julie Turner gathered it in, caught Cooper out of position and sneaked it past her for a 1-0 lead.

The Missy Gators put their first shot on goal five minutes into the second half, and it was also their only shot that went in the goal. Raven Lawrence’s 30-yard free kick sailed over the head of Clinton keeper Daniella Oropeza to tie it at 1.

Six minutes later, Clinton answered. Miller got a loose ball just in front of the net and side-footed a knuckleball over Cooper’s head to break the tie.