By Don Ketchum

The girls from Phoenix Thunderbird relied on one experienced senior player and a freshman with not nearly as much on Tuesday (Feb. 21) to advance to the Division II basketball semifinals.

The combination of senior Lillian Southwick and freshman Ann Shikles enabled the 12^th-seeded Lady Chiefs to defeat No. 4 Prescott Valley Bradshaw Mountain 50-42 at Grand Canyon University Arena in Phoenix.

Thunderbird (23-8) will meet Peoria or Peoria Liberty in the semifinals on Thursday at GCU. Tipoff is 66 p.m. Bradshaw Mountain finished 21-6.

Southwick led all scorers with 27 points, including four 3-pointers.

She was involved in a key fourth-quarter sequence after Bradshaw Mountain’s Katie Rogge had given her team the lead, 40-37, with a 3-pointer and a free throw.

Southwick leaned in for an underhanded scoop shot and was fouled, completing the 3-point play with 2:35 left to make it 40-40. She stole the Bradshaw Mountain inbounds pass and was fouled, converting two more free throws for a 42-40 lead with 2:33 left.

Thunderbird outscored Bradshaw Mountain 8-2 the rest of the way. Shikles was 8-of-8 from the free-throw line in the final 1:58 to keep the Lady Bears from coming back. Shikles finished with 15 points.

Thunderbird coach Barry Ringel said his team looked nervous in the early going, committing 11 turnovers in the first quarter. But the Lady Chiefs settled down.

“I’m proud of my team. We’ve got another game Thursday,’’ Ringel said.

It is a bittersweet time for Southwick, whose mother, Linda, passed away two years ago.

“I look up to her every time I shoot a free throw,’’ Southwick said.

Southwick also was slowed by an ankle injury that occurred shortly before the regular-season opener. Ligaments and tendons were affected, and Southwick didn’t feel back to normal until after the holiday break.

“To be here right now is such a blessing,’’ Southwick said.

She also is thankful to have Shikles as a teammate.

“She has improved so much, a lot less freshman mistakes,’’ Southwick said.

Rogge led Bradshaw Mountain with 10 points and Kirsten Smith scored eight, including a pair of 3-pointers.