The Enterprise — Michael Koff

“It’s an emotional thing,” Watervliet Head Coach Gordie Johnson said of last Saturday’s physical, chaotic Class B quarterfinal against Voorheesville, which the host Cannoneers won, 59 to 51, despite the Blackbirds’ anger-fueled comeback. There were numerous steals by both teams, and bodies hit the floor several times, like here, where Watervliet’s Kiki Szczepanski slides on her stomach as the basketball pops up to Voorheesville’s Emily Burke, left, as she looks to grab it; Voorheesville’s Victoria Coluccio sits up from the scrum at right. 

The Enterprise — Michael Koff

Peering up at the basket is Rachael Bogdany, who led Voorheesville with 11 points. Both teams lost some composure in the fourth quarter; players were exchanging shoves and words, Coach Johnson kicked a chair, and Voorheesville Head Coach Bob Baron yelled at the referees for not getting any “over the back” calls. “They’re very physical,” Baron said of Watervliet. “We were trying to match their intensity, and we did. We made them lose composure, which is our job. If you want to make big plays when you need them, you have to keep your wits about you, and your confidence.”