After not making the national tournament last season, the Loyola women’s basketball team had a saying for the 2004-05 campaign: It’s automatic.

Sociology senior Joelle Bordelon said the theme meant that the team was not going to be denied a spot in the tournament.

“We were going to do what it took to make it,” Bordelon said. “They were not going to look past us. We were going to make it.”

That attitude helped carry the ‘Pack to a third place finish in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference with an 11-7 record, the most conference victories in school history. On Wednesday when the NAIA released the national tournament brackets, Loyola (21-13) found itself in its first national tournament in school history as a No. 7 seed in one of the four brackets.

The ‘Pack will face No. 2 seed Southern Nazarene (Okla.) at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday at the Oman Arena in Jackson, Tenn.

Bordelon said the team should get a scouting tape of Southern Nazarene (27-6) but that playing its game is the main focus of the ‘Pack right now.

“It’s very exciting because this is what we worked for,” she said. “We are going to do what we’ve been doing and not worry about them. We’re going to make them beat us.”

In 2004, the team was left out of the tournament after finishing 21-11 and reaching the conference tournament championship.

Now, the ‘Pack can showcase its talents on the national stage.

Bordelon said that making the tournament after four years means even more because of the players surrounding her.

“They might not have been here all four years, but they helped turn around the team last year,” she said. “They all want to be here. It means a lot to got to nationals with them.”