UF hasn't forgotten the way last season ended.
After having a successful season and advancing to the third round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament in March, the Gators traveled to Raleigh, N.C., to face North Carolina State.
And they tanked, losing 80-55.
"Clearly, it was very tough because we got our butts kicked," UF coach Amanda Butler said. "They took it to us and we just took it. They appeared to be a team on a mission, and we kind of played like a team that was ready for the season to end."
UF (7-1) has had to deal with the painful memory of that loss for the past eight months, but on Sunday at 2 p.m., the Gators will get a shot at redemption when they travel to face the Wolfpack (4-3).
Sha Brooks, who led UF in that game with 16 points, is not letting the loss slip out of her memory, and she has a message for the Gators' newcomers:
"I would just tell them that this game is all about revenge," Brooks said.
The Wolfpack will be missing one key ingredient that helped them in the blowout win against UF.
Forward Khadijah Whittington, who tallied 13 points and 17 rebounds, completed her senior season last year, but that doesn't mean the Gators will have an easy time.
UF never found an answer for North Carolina State point guard Shayla Fields, who racked up 31 points, and they'll have their hands full again trying to slow her down.
"Embarrassing. Very embarrassing," guard Jennifer Mossor said of UF's effort against the Wolfpack. "We didn't play well at all. It was just a really bad game."
While North Carolina State will throw as big a punch as it did last season, the Gators will have a lot more to offer in return this time around.
They'll be playing with an edge they didn't have in the spring and for a shot to redeem themselves.
Butler just hopes her players will use that loss to their advantage.
"We want to play our best for us," Butler said. "But I think when there's that extra little bit of motivation, and when you know you've played a team and they didn't get anywhere near what your best shot was, you want to show that you're better than what they faced last year."
