Phoenix Thunderbird and Glendale Cactus have had their share of physical encounters on the football field.

This time, it was on the basketball floor and a girls’ game to boot.

In what Thunderbird coach Barry Ringel termed a playoff-type game, his Lady Chiefs survived a hard-fought contest with Cactus on Friday night (Jan. 18), 52-39.

Thunderbird, No. 6 in the Division II power seedings entering the week, climbed to 22-2. Cactus, No. 3 in Division II, fell to 15-6.

“It felt like a playoff game between two of the better teams in Division II,’’ Ringel said. “It was a tough atmosphere. You figure that if you go to the other gym and win a game like this, you can win on anybody’s court.’’

The teams will meet again at Thunderbird on Jan. 28.

Play was physical and ragged through most of the first half. In the second half, Thunderbird began to cut and pass better than it had been, and its defense clamped down. The team played a zone for most of the contest.

Ann Shikles scored 12 of her 18 points in the second half, including seven free throws. She converted 11 from the line for the game.

Ozahria Fisher scored nine points, Morgan Barnes scored nine and Yvette Coles had eight.

Thunderbird had defeated Cactus 53-42 in the Moon Valley tournament on Nov. 23, and Ringel said that game wasn’t nearly as physical as this one.

Thunderbird converted 23 free throws as a team. The Chiefs work on that aspect all the time in practice.

“If we don’t get 60 percent for the entire practice, we run,’’ Ringel said.

It is a good motivational factor, to be sure.

Of his improved offense in the second half, Ringel said, “We spread things out more. We had more of a lead and we were able to run some “curls’’ and attack the basket.’’

Thunderbird had a 32-23 lead midway through the third quarter, but Cactus came back to cut the lead to 35-31 entering the fourth. Cactus’ Lakisha Pollard scored two baskets in the closing moments, including a driving shot just before the buzzer sounded.

Thunderbird went on a 6-2 run to begin the fourth and that allowed the Chiefs to get more into the flow offensively, as Ringel said.

Monique Smith led Cactus with 13 points and Levette Jiles had 11.