SYRACUSE — There may not have been a better way for the class of 2016 to leave the Hardwood Tee Pee.

The senior members of the Wawasee girls basketball team, all two of them, said their final farewells to their home arena Saturday night. Erin Wiktorowski and Kylee Rostochak had experienced 25 total wins coming into the contest with Plymouth, and just three wins in conference play. The past four years have been an uphill battle for the graduating seniors as they’ve had to claw for every bit of success along the way. Maybe that’s what made their final home game so fitting.

The Lady Warriors entered with an 0-5 mark in Northern Lakes Conference play and had been on the wrong end of several close decisions already this year. Finally Wawasee was able to hang on as it grabbed a 57-55 double-overtime when over the visiting Pilgrims.

“I actually tried not to think about everything coming into the game,” said Rostochak. “I knew I would get emotional, I didn’t want to come out and try too hard and overthink everything. I just wanted to think about this as any other game and enjoy myself.”

Rostochak did not disappoint in her home finale. The senior led all players with 22 points, five assists and was the calming force for a team that needed to relax at multiple points throughout the game.

While the game was close through its entirety, things really heated up in the final minute. Both teams found themselves lacking a clutch gene in the final minute as Plymouth could not hit a shot and Wawasee went 1-3 from the line in the final 50 seconds. Wawasee had possession with three and half seconds to go but could not get the ball up the court in time for a last-second shot and the two teams went to overtime tied at 44.

With the game tied 49-49 in the extra session, Plymouth’s Nicole Horvath had a chance to change the tide with a trip to the charity stripe, the junior missed both shots with 33 seconds remaining to give the ball back to the Lady Warriors. But Wawasee again squandered the opportunity and never got a shot off. So, the game slipped into a second overtime.

Aubrey Schmeltz gave the home team a 51-49 lead early in the second OT by hitting two free throws. The junior was clutch in the extra frames going 4-4 from the line. She was also the recipient of a beautiful assist from Rosotchak with 1:04 to play. Schmeltz slipped behind the defense and was wide open for the long pass from her senior captain. The bucket put Wawasee up 53-50. Schmeltz finished the night with 12 points and six rebounds.

Wawasee held the lead, but the fear could be seen on the faces of so many girls, except for the two seniors.

“That’s just experience,” Rostochak said. “I’ve been the one freaking out before and I know the team looks at Erin and I as examples. We knew we had to be calm. I knew if I could keep the ball moving that everything would turn out okay. I have a great team, I knew they’d have my back.”

“You have to let them know you’re supporting them,” Wiktorowski offered. “On the bench, on the court, you have to let the girls know you have their back.”

Rostochak went 2-2 from the line with 16 seconds left. Hannah Haines and Aubrey Kuhn also added big free throws late. After some strange confusion with the clock in the final two seconds, Wawasee was finally able to walk away with the win.

“Every possessions just meant more tonight because it was our last home game,” remarked Wiktorowski. “Obviously we just wanted it more. There was more heart from our side when it was all over.”

Wiktorowski, along with Rostochak, burst onto the scene with a promising freshman campaign 2012 but injuries kept her off the court the past two seasons. The senior made her first start since her freshman year in Saturday’s game.

Horvath led Plymouth with a double-double. The junior scored 17 points and led all players with 13 rebounds.

Rounding out scoring for the Lady Warriors were Kabrea Rostochak (seven points), Hannah-Marie Lamle (five), Haines (five), Wiktorowski (three), Seaquinn Bright (two) and Kuhn (one). Haines led Wawasee with nine boards.

“I don’t want to think about it because I know I’ll start crying,” Rostochak said when asked about her last game at home with her team. “It’s definitely emotional. Nothing will be able to compare to high school basketball, even if I were to play in college. This experience will be one of the best of my life.”

Wawasee (7-13, 1-5) will take on No. 5 Tippecanoe Valley Tuesday night in Akron.