The Wayne Hills Girls Basketball team defeated the West Milford Highlanders in an overtime thriller 44-40 on Tuesday. It was not only an important win for the team but was for the seniors during their senior night ceremony.

The Patriots got off to an early lead but the Highlanders came storming back and made it a close game for all 32 minutes of regulation action. The Patriots had a three-point lead with 21.3 seconds left, but the Highlanders were able to hit a three to tie it up and send it to overtime. Overtime was back and forth but the Patriots were able to come out victorious in the end. Junior Siena Shuster led both teams in scoring with 17 points. It was a night to remember for the seniors and a great honor for them.

Seniors Lilly Weltman and Shannon Tighe have made a strong impact on the success of this team both on and off the court. Tighe is averaging 8.57 points per game and Weltman is averaging 5 points per game. It’s not only the success on the court in terms of stats that makes them important players on the team, it is their leadership and impact that they are leaving on the younger players as the captains.

Senior Shannon Tighe said, “It meant a lot how the team came together to get the win in overtime. We worked hard and together from beginning to end.” Tighe had five points, six rebounds, five assists, and two steals in the overtime win.

“It meant a lot because it was a tough battle rather than just a blowout,” said senior Lilly Weltman, “We got to fight until the end and get a win that was hard earned which was truly a special memory.”

Anyone is who is watching the Girls Basketball games can likely point out who the seniors by their leadership on and off the court. They are always lifting the team up when they are down and leaving a lasting impact on the players who are the future of this team.

The team has some tough games coming up along with the Passaic County and State tournaments. In order to have success in the remaining stretch of the season, the seniors are going to need to encourage their team and lead them to important victories. The Patriots play next on Thursday against Jefferson which is an important game in the power point standings for the state tournament.