There was always one left.

So, still, nearly two hours after Purdue’s seniors played their final game in Mackey Arena Sunday, they still were on the court.

Back on the court.

After spurring the Boilermakers to an 84-60 victory over Minnesota, they were showered with praise, raining down from the rafters, nearly every single one of the 14,804 fans still around to hear their speeches.

Then, Vincent Edwards, Isaac Haas, Dakota Mathias and P.J. Thompson went inside the locker room to get showered and ready to go home.

But they came back out to the court.

They went out to see their families one more time, sure.

But that wasn’t all beckoning them.

Fans lingered.

They screamed names, hoping to gain attention.

They reached out mini basketballs, hoping for signatures.

They held out arms, hoping the player would fill the void, willingly accepting a photo request.

One after another after another.

It was the kind of reception reserved for that other popular senior class, that Beatles-type postgame that awaited E’Twaun Moore, Robbie Hummel, Ja’Juan Johnson, Chris Kramer and the like. That group, they stayed and stayed and stayed, after nearly every home game, honoring every request.

And, Sunday night, with the fans staying, so did this current crop of fans’ heroes.

In the end, it was the 7-foot-2 Haas slowly lumbering up an aisle in Mackey, on his way out.

The digital clock above the tunnel flashed “7:52.”

The game ended at 5:56 p.m.

But how could they not leave slowly, soaking in every moment?

Or at least trying to soak everything in.

In warmups, they already were reminding each other every time there was a “last time.”

Then, all the autographs had been signed, all the pictures had been likely posted on social media, all the congratulations had been said.

Purdue’s senior class has been a transformative one, and maybe nothing showcased that more than a special, exhaustive postgame environment.

“I don’t think any of us have really soaked it all in yet that we’re not coming back here after (Sunday), as far as playing another game in Mackey,” Edwards said in the postgame press conference, before returning to the court for the final time. “I guess it will hit when we all walk the stage here in May and really realize once we have to go our separate ways, that it’s over.”

But not fully being able to categorize the big-picture moment doesn’t mean the game wasn’t scattered with smaller, meaningful ones.

There were nice senior-specific touches throughout.

During the fire-up video just before starting lineups — the one that features Mackey Arena — the four seniors got added in, asking and answering the whose-house-our-house exchange.

During the starting lineups, sophomore Carsen Edwards went first and the four seniors followed, finishing with Vincent Edwards.

Instead of giving each player a curtain call, Painter substituted them all at the same time, with 4:30 remaining, to one massive ovation. Even Minnesota coach Richard Pitino shifted farther down the sideline to be able to give each senior a handshake or pat on the back before each headed down the line toward Purdue’s bench.

In the game’s final minutes, all four of the seniors' numbers were spotlighted in the ceiling corners of Mackey: No. 11, No. 12, No. 31 and No. 44.

Mathias said it was “a very weird, emotional day,” knowing it was the final home game but trying to keep the focus on where the focus should be: Winning.

Each senior certainly played a piece in that goal, as he has all season.

Mathias tied career highs with 25 points, seven three-pointers and two blocks, was one short of his rebounding high with seven and also had four assists and zero turnovers in 29 minutes.

Edwards, who’d missed the previous two games with an ankle injury but was no way missing this one, scored 10 points, had two assists, two rebounds and no turnovers in 25 minutes.

Haas had 13 points and nine rebounds in 25 minutes, including a typical mini-stretch of post domination.

Thompson stuck a three-pointer in the second half for his only bucket in 21 minutes but was, as always, a steadying presence when he was on the floor.

“All of us coming out those first couple minutes were a little nervous, a little excited,” Mathias said. “Once we settled in, I thought we played a good game. Senior night, our last night here, talking to everybody like we did, having good speeches, it was just a special day, I think.”

The speeches were significant in their emotion, sincerity and thoughtfulness.

Edwards was first — probably because he is alphabetically — and went through a list of mentors, supporters, coaches and teammates. But he broke down — burying his face in the white towel he was holding — when he started to thank his family.

“It was really emotional,” Edwards said of the day. “Everything we were doing, it was last this, last that. You didn’t know how to feel.”

Haas already had been crying when Edwards handed him the mic. He tried to gather himself — and did for a while — but then broke down when he started to thank the Purdue community for helping his sister, Erin. Erin has epilepsy, and the family was allowed to raise money through GoFundMe to purchase a seizure service dog for her nearly nine months ago. The response was quick and emphatic: More than $22,000.

Haas already had thanked folks via social media, but this, this was a special time. It was with his words. It was in person. And it, seemed, with every fiber of his being. So, naturally, he got emotional.

“It’s been amazing,” Haas said afterward, when he was composed. “All that time from when she got that dog until now, I’ve just been waiting to say a big thank you. Senior night was the perfect way to look at those people and say thank you for always being there for my family and giving and not expecting anything back. That just speaks volumes to me.”

Mathias, in very Mathias-like-organized fashion, had a list and methodically thanked a variety of important people who helped him to get this point. That included his fiancé, Gabby Gary, the daughter of assistant coach Greg. It included athletic trainer Chad Young, whom Mathias sat next to on the bench after he exited the game for the final time. It included former Boilermaker Raphael Davis, who was in attendance.

P.J. Thompson had a list, too, and specifically told Coach Matt Painter thank you because “he always believed in me when other people didn’t.” Thompson noted Purdue was his only Big Ten offer.

“I’m happy now because we got payback, won at every place in the Big Ten,” Thompson said of this senior class during his speech.

Thompson was eloquent, too, when specifically thanking his younger brother Isaiah, mom and dad, giving examples of why he loved them and how supportive they were.

Painter even said after Thompson handed off the mic, he would like Thompson to speak at his funeral someday.

For Thompson, like the rest of his teammates, there was purpose to each word.

Not just because they understood at least a piece of what the moment meant for them, but more so because they knew what it meant to everyone in the building.

“It was just really cool,” Thompson said afterward of the day. “For me, it hit me a couple days ago. I was up until 4 in the morning. I just couldn’t sleep. (Saturday), Dakota was my roommate in the hotel and we were writing some notes for our speeches and it just hit us like, ‘Man, it’s really our last time playing.’ It was kind of emotional writing it.

“Mackey is a special place. It was awesome. I think we’ve all done a fair share for this program to get it to where it needs to go.”

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