After 94 victories, seven NCAA Tournament wins, a Final Four appearance and a Big Ten championship, it's all over.

For Rashana Barnes and Katrena Carr, the two seniors on the Penn State women's basketball team, four years' worth of highs and lows came to an end on Saturday with the Lady Lions' Sweet 16 loss to Connecticut.

The defeat marked a bittersweet finish to a season that began with plenty of question marks and an abundance of untested young players. But the two veterans were able to guide their 10 freshmen and sophomore teammates to a second-place finish in the Big Ten, an appearance in the conference tournament championship game, and a thrilling run to the NCAA's round of 16.

"Looking back, I'm really proud of what this team has done," Barnes said following Saturday's loss to the top-ranked Huskies. "I know a lot of people lost hope in us and sometimes we lost it in ourselves in the middle of the year."

Barnes, the Lions' co-captain, was the calm amid an early-January storm when the team's record stood at 9-7 and an 18th-straight NCAA Tournament appearance was in jeopardy. Lions' head coach Rene Portland looked to her veteran post player to help the younger players keep their composure.

"Rashana was like the grandmother of this team," Portland said. "She was the one they could talk to, she was the one that probably knew me better than anyone else. She was extremely optimistic with them the whole time like I was."

Barnes' grandmotherly nature is likely a product of her own grandmother, Doris, who traveled over 13 hours on a bus from State College to Milwaukee to watch Barnes' final game against UConn.

"It's always nice to see, especially on a trip like this," Barnes said of Doris' travels. "I don't think she's ever really been on an away trip."

That kind of dedication to family and team is also present in Barnes' roommate, Carr. Used mostly as a defensive substitution off the bench this season, Carr missed the season's first six games recovering from a foot injury but rebounded to play in 27 contests. The Cleveland Heights, Ohio, native recorded a career-high 21 points against St. Francis in January and finishes her career ranked 15th on Penn State's all-time assists list with 112.

"Trena just gave us what she could give us, and I think that's the most you could ever ask," Portland said.

Both Carr and Barnes have been praised by teammates for their dedication to Penn State and the light-hearted nature they bring to the locker room.

Earlier in the year duo starred in a Lady Lions' promotional "Hardwood Harmony" video in which they showcased their singing talents. The next time they will share a stage will be in May when the two graduate.

"I'm really thrilled that both of them will graduate on time," Portland said. "They'll be finished and they'll both go on to have a great career with their Penn State degrees."