An animated and focused women’s basketball team walked off the court Wednesday night after its last practice at Reynolds Coliseum before the start of the NCAA Tournament.

The No. 5 seeded Wolfpack leave for Chicago on Thursday to play their opening-round game against No. 12 seeded Tulsa.

However, in preparation for the Golden Hurricane, many of the players have used last year’s loss to Middle Tennessee State as motivation. The Pack faced the same situation a year ago as they were a five seed and the Blue Raiders were a twelve seed.

“It was a bad feeling,” senior point guard Monica Pope said. “We just don’t want to feel that way again. We felt like we should have won that game. A lot of bad stuff happened in that game-Billie getting hurt and the overall game just wasn’t a good experience.”

Coach Kay Yow, who has led the team to 18 NCAA Tournament appearances, said last year’s game should be in the mind of her players.

“It should be motivation for them,” Yow said. “It is for me, I would think it would be for them. We know the feeling of losing a first round game by a last second shot. Even though we had Billie out, we had the game and we let it slip away.”

The Pack led the Blue Raiders by 10 nearly halfway through the second half, but slipped late and the Blue Raiders made the game-winning jumper with only 1.6 seconds remaining.

After a game like that, Ashley Key said it is something she doesn’t want to experience again.

“Those are feelings you don’t really want resurfaced,” Key said. “It’s obviously going to be a constant reminder in the back of your head that you don’t want it to end like it did last year. It’s an extra motivator.”

Khadijah Whittington, who will take part in her second NCAA Tournament, said the game is on the minds of her teammates and it’s a consistent conversation piece.

“We talk about it everyday,” Whittington said. “Now is our chance to get to Texas. So if we can get past these first two games, we will be in San Antonio.”

She added that experience should play a role.

“For me, last year was my first year getting in,” Whittington said. “I was excited. But now that I know what it feels like, I’m pumped up even more. I’m not trying to go home first round again.”

For a team with five seniors, it is the last opportunity to make a run at the tournament. No player on the team has won an NCAA Tournament game.

Billie McDowell, who was limited to only eight minutes in last year’s game due to an injury, said it’s an important game to win, especially for the seniors.

“It’s our last chance to take the court,” senior guard Billie McDowell said.

Key responded quickly to McDowell.

“But other than that, it’s just another game,” Key said. “Just a bigger title.”