As senior Kourtney Shreve stood among her family and friends 45 minutes after the game, she realized two things.
She had an enormous amount of love surrounding her in McArthur Court from her fans. And it hadn’t sunk in that she just played on McArthur Court for the last time.
Shreve received a standing ovation from the 5,369 fans as she walked to the bench with just more than a minute left.
And Shreve’s fan club had cheered for the Albany native for the last time in The Pit. Game in and game out, banners that state “We Love Kourtney,” “Put Kourtney In” and “Go Kourtney” could easily be seen as the girls always root for their favorite player.
“She is always really nice to us and she has a really good attitude,” 13-year-old Adrienne Wise said.
“They don’t play her a lot, but she helps with all the little things,” 13-year-old Claire Haakanson said.
All the girls, also including Rachel Clinger, Emma Cave and Taylor Woods, said they were sad that they would no longer be able to cheer for their favorite player.
The 5-foot-7-inch guard recently reached a landmark, as Saturday night’s game against Washington marked her 101st time in an Oregon uniform. Shreve said tears would be shed over the experience as the support she has received over the past four years has been overwhelming.
“The support here since day one — they are constantly behind me and pushing for me,” Shreve said. “They are just special girls, and they have touched my heart. It’s an honor to know that people respect you like that.”
Shreve played 14 minutes against the Huskies and pulled down three rebounds. She didn’t score, but her aggressive, dive-to-the-floor style won her the crowd and the respect.
Throughout her senior year, Shreve has not been the high-scoring, high-flying, show-boat type of person, but her attitude has made her into the teammate she is.
“She makes a difference in people’s lives with that positive attitude,” Oregon head coach Bev Smith said. “Despite playing time, despite shots made, that smile is always there and she is very altruistic.”
Ron Shreve, Kourtney’s father, has watched his daughter come a long way in her career, from seeing her younger days as a varsity letterman at West Albany High to watching her receive bouquets of flowers Saturday in honor of Senior Night. When asked what it all meant, he could barely find the words.
“It’s the epitome of being a parent,” Ron Shreve said. “She is so humble and so grateful for everything done and yet continues to work hard under the most difficult situations.
“You couldn’t get her in a better place no matter how much you tried to persuade her. She is so proud to be a part of this University and community.”
Shreve has been a part of the University since 1999, when she was back-up point guard to All-American Shaquala Williams. And Shreve has been quite the award winner in her career.
In her sophomore and junior years, Shreve was the recipient of the Harry Ritchie Scholar Athlete award and was selected to the Pac-10’s All-Academic Honorable Mention Team. In her first season, she earned honorable mention honors on the Pac-10’s All-Freshman team.
Now, more than a hundred games later, McArthur Court has lost a fan favorite.
“There’s tears coming; it’s going to be tough,” Shreve said. “I have had some great success here and I can’t complain about that.”