CLINTON — Often, the Vicksburg-Warren Central rivalry seems close enough to be decided by a coin flip. Unless it’s in the postseason, of course. Then it’s all Warren Central.

The Lady Vikes overcame an 11-point deficit in the first half to grab the lead, then survived a frantic finish to hold it and beat Vicksburg 39-37 Tuesday night in the first round of the Division 3-6A Tournament. It’s the third straight year WC (9-16) has ended its crosstown rival’s season in the division tournament.

Freshman Denitra Bracey had 10 points and 18 rebounds to lead WC.

“In the regular season, if we split or they beat us both games, it becomes more like, ‘you’ve got to get them, it’s your time.’ I’m very sure the Vicksburg coaches were telling them it’s been two years in a row that you knocked them off, so I had to try and motivate mine that you can’t take it for granted. You have to take care of business,” WC coach Jackie Martin-Brown said.

Warren Central had suffered seven consecutive losses entering the tournament, but is now guaranteed at least two more games. It advanced to Friday night’s championship game against Greenville-Weston and clinched a berth in next week’s Class 6A North State satellite game. Greenville beat Clinton, 41-37, in another first-round game Tuesday.

“You can start out great, and then lose that first game and be sitting home. Or you can start out bad and win that game that puts you on and then go and do good. I always say it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. One of the football players said it’s an old cliché, but really it’s true,” Martin-Brown said.

Vicksburg (12-13) was left picking up the pieces following a brutal season-ending loss.

The Missy Gators got 14 points from Ama Arkoful and 10 from Kailin Young, and started the game by hitting 10 of their first 14 shots.

The fast start gave them a 22-11 lead midway through the second quarter — and a lofty perch from which to make a hard crash landing. They made only six field goals and scored 15 points the rest of the game.

“Nobody stepped up. It’s sad. Give (WC) credit. Take

nothing from them. They worked as a team and they won it,” VHS coach Barbara Hartzog said. “Give it to Warren Central. They beat us. They get to move on.”

Six of Vicksburg’s points came in the final minute of the third quarter, when Arkoful scored on two straight possessions and assisted on another basket to cut WC’s lead to 33-32. That flurry ended a stretch in which Vicksburg went 2-for-13 from the field.

The Missy Gators, though, never regained the lead once they lost it. WC extended its lead again after Arkoful’s binge, and led 39-35 with a minute left. A layup by Young cut that to two points, and the Missy Gators had one last chance in the final seconds. They got two steals, but Arkoful missed a layup and a long jumper in the final 10 seconds.

After J’Nitra Ratliff missed a free throw for WC with 3.8 seconds to go — the only free throw the Lady Vikes shot in the game — Young grabbed the rebound. Her attempt at a long pass was deflected as it left her hand and wandered harmlessly out of bounds as the clock ran out.