BUTLER TWP — After countless hours of exhausting practice, grinding out game after game, the Butler girls basketball team is heading back to the WPIAL Class AAAA playoffs.

It’s been a long time coming for the five Golden Tornado seniors.

“I feel like all this hard work has finally paid off. ... I think that’s where we belong,” said senior Cait Baxter. “All the work we’ve put in the past two years from sophomore to senior year, it just feels good to be back.”

Baxter, Mackenzie O’Donnell and Sam Marak were mostly spectators during Butler’s run to the WPIAL Class AAAA quarterfinals in 2010. The trio of freshmen sat behind a senior-laden group, while Natalie Barkus and Morgan Pfabe had yet to make their Tornado debuts.

“The last two years, they’ve gone through a lot of injuries. They had to rebound from a year of seven seniors before,” said Butler coach Dorothea Epps. “The last two years were a struggle for them, so I’m just happy they stayed with it. They kept working. I told them that, ‘You, too can become that team.’ And they did.”

Marak wasn’t about to downplay the accomplishment.

“I’m not going to lie, it feels awesome,” she said laughing. “And we’ve had so much fun, too.”

Butler (12-9, 8-3 Section 3-AAAA) enters its final regular-season game tonight against Seneca Valley on a four-game win streak. The seniors pointed to Epps’ emphasis on determination and teamwork for the Tornado’s success.

“Coach pushed us every practice and even outside of practice, she would tell us to go do stuff,” said O’Donnell. “We’ve been working hard for that.”

“We really blend together and that just makes us a good team,” Baxter explained. “We know each other; we know how each other play. We just help each other out.”

“We’ve been together forever,” said Barkus. “We pick each other up. Playing together is the biggest thing.”

The Tornado girls have grown up on the court and their trust is evident.

Butler has shined in the biggest moments of crucial games. The Tornado are 6-1 in section games decided by single digits, including their last four by an average margin of less than five points.

“We’ve been playing together since like fifth grade,” noted O’Donnell.

“We’re all family,” Baxter elaborated. “We all encourage each other, too. That’s a big thing.”

“And at the same time, we yell at each other,” Marak chimed in with a smile. “We’re a family. We don’t take offense to it.

“If someone yells at me, I say, ‘Well OK, I need to do my part.’ When somebody else does something bad, I do the same thing to them,” she added. “But there’s no hard feelings, we’re best friends after the game.”

Each of the seniors have embraced their role on the team.

Baxter is a threat to shoot from anywhere on the floor and can handle the ball, while O’Donnell leads the Tornado in scoring as a dependable go-to option in the post.

Marak is a defensive stalwart at point guard and Barkus often serves as a spark plug with an aggressive approach on both sides of the ball.

“I know because I’m not a top scorer that defense is where I really pitch in to the game,” said Marak.

“Defense wins game,” Barkus noted. “You have to play hard.”

As one of the best shooters on the team, Pfabe gives the Tornado a scoring touch and a solid defender off the bench.

Sophomores Kalynn Callihan and Alyssa DiPippa are Butler’s only other regular contributors, while classmate Julia Baxter has been hampered by injury.

Although O’Donnell and Cait Baxter are Butler’s most consistent scorers, they understand the other girls must play their role for the team to triumph.

“We don’t worry about points, all we care about is winning the game,” said Baxter. “We would be nowhere without the rest of the team. They get us open. They do everything for us. An assist is just as good as a score.”

Baxter’s journey has been particularly rigorous, overcoming a torn ACL which kept her on the sideline during her junior year after leading the team in scoring as a sophomore.

“It feels amazing to be back this year. ... I’m just glad it’s with them,” said Baxter, nodding to her fellow seniors. “All that hard work I put in to get back — and they kept pushing me the whole way, too — it just makes it all better.”

Now healthy, Baxter has been a big piece to Butler’s playoff puzzle.

“There’s always an injury or something that went wrong for us,” said Marak. “This year, it’s finally going right. ... We’re going out with a bang.”