You had the feeling it was going to happen.

You just knew that the hard work and solid, record-setting season would not be rewarded.

Yet, for anyone who has seen the Loyola women’s basketball team play this year, a disgusted feeling was bound to come when learning that they were unjustly left out of the field of 32 teams in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics national tournament.

A run to the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference tournament championship after defeating No. 12 Xavier in the semifinals just wasn’t good enough. Twenty one wins was not good enough.

And why?

The team’s chemistry and dedication were just not enough to overcome the system. A system that disqualified Loyola’s votes in the final national poll. A system that allows seven teams from one conference to make the field of 32. A system that simply ignored our women to put teams with inferior records in the tournament.

Due to a rule made this season, the ‘Pack lost five points in the final voting – five points that more than likely would have put them in the tournament. They were taken away because William Carey coach Tracy English, who had been ranking the team No. 25 for two weeks, jumped the team to No. 20 in the final ranking.

By the rule, since none of the other 12 national voters ranked Loyola, the jump caused the votes to be disqualified. You see, the rule was made to prevent one voter from single-handedly putting a team in the national tournament. Here, it single-handedly prevented Loyola from making the field.

English’s jump was not what the rule was designed for; he really believed Loyola should be No. 20.

Stupid system.

Many people within the NAIA consider the Sooner Athletic Conference in Oklahoma to be the best in the nation. But does the best conference deserve seven teams and the GCAC, widely considered a top conference, only two?

Well, Oklahoma Christian coach Stephanie Findley is a voter and on the national selection committee. Her team started the season ranked and fell out the rankings quickly.

Amazingly, Oklahoma Christian made the tournament by being ranked No. 25 in the final ranking. Gee, wonder how they garnered those 15 points?

The Wolfpack won two games – by 16 and 19 points – in its last week of play yet did not gain any other votes. Loyola was 10-8 in GCAC play; Oklahoma Christian was one of three teams from the SAC that made the tournament with an 8-10 conference mark.

Stupid system.

Loyola’s record was 21-11. The ‘Pack beat two Division I teams and Xavier in the conference semifinals. The team was within four points with just over four minutes to play in the tournament championship against No. 20 Dillard. Then, the Blue Devils took over, mostly based on a 3-point play after a horrible call that went against Loyola.

Anyway, the ‘Pack had the resume to get in. Yet 13 teams with worse records made it to the big dance. One team was 17-16, another 16-13. And Oklahoma Christian: 19-14.

Stupid system.

Hopefully with another strong season next year Loyola will land in the tournament. But that’s next year. The team should be in this year.

If Loyola would have made the tournament, it probably would have been a fairly low seed. So, those top teams should count their lucky stars that Loyola is not their first round opponent.

I wouldn’t want to face Loyola with point guard Joelle Bordelon, who finished second in the nation in assists per game at 6.77. Nor would I want to have to try to defend Kiely Schork, who made more three pointers (118) than any other female in the entire country this season, including all players in the NCAA.

How about Dani Holland? She finished second in the nation in rebounds at 9.83. She can score from the outside or on the inside. Who would want to guard her?

Out of those players, none made the all-conference team. But that’s for a different column.

Marjorie Bilinski, the team’s center, averaged 14 points a game and did make the all-GCAC team. Despite being consistently smaller than the opposing center, she had several 20-point games.

If only those voters would have had a good look at our women’s team. Then, the team would not be here to read this column but rather in Jackson, Tenn., for the national tournament.

Stupid system.

Gene Guillot can be reached at [email protected].