Sports Editor Peter Hockaday peterhockaday@dailyemerald .com Oregon Daily Emerald Sports Best bet NCAA men's basketball: UConn at Notre Dame 4 p.m., ESPN Monday, February 24,2003 Men fizzle against UW without Joseph Reserve guard Andre Joseph has a ‘meltdown,’ and the Ducks follow suit in a 78-66 loss to the Huskies Men’s basketball Adam Jude Senior Sports Reporter SEATTLE — Without its spark, Oregon couldn’t find a way to light its fuse Saturday. Washington, meanwhile, was all fired up. The Ducks (18-7 overall, 8-6 Pacific-10 Confer ence) kept the NCAA Tournament selection com mittee scratching its head after their fourth Pac-10 road loss in seven tries, this time a 78-66 defeat to the Huskies before a sold-out crowd of 10,000 at Ed munson Pavillion. Oregon tied a season low by shooting 33.3 percent from the field, while Washington (9-15, 4-11) snapped a five-game losing skid by hitting 50 per cent of its shots. In their first meeting of the season last month, the Ducks blew out the Huskies, 91-66, at McArthur Court. The difference this time? “We were at home,” first-year Washington head coach Lorenzo Romar said. Even more significant than the Huskies’ home court advantage was the notable absence of Oregon guard Andre Joseph. The Ducks’ most productive bench player, Joseph didn’t play in the second half after he had what head coach Ernie Kent called an emotional “meltdown.” Joseph and assistant coach John Cooper had a heated discussion — with Cooper doing most of the talking — during a timeout with 11:50 remaining in the game and the Ducks trailing 44-43. Joseph had Turn to Men's, page 10 Andre Joseph didn't provide his usual spark against Washington, as he didn't play in the second half of the Oregon loss. Jeremy Forrest Emerald Jeremy Forrest Emerald Kourtney Shreve (5) played her final game at McArthur Court on Saturday against Washington. Payne, Dalan overwhelm Oregon in blowout UW win Loree Payne and Kellie Dalan combine to score 47 points and sink the Ducks Women’s basketball Hank Hager Sports Reporter Loree Payne sat behind a microphone Saturday, moments after her Hustles had beaten the Oregon women’s basketball teanff 75-59, in front of a season high 5,369 fans at McArthur Court. The senior didn’t show too much outward emo tion, at least not until the end of her session with the media. But she did show flashes of a smile because, after all, Washington had just beaten the Ducks for the first time at Mac Court since 1993 — a span of 10 games. And Payne, playing in her last regular season game against the Ducks, played a large part in that victory. “It’s great to celebrate a victory, but we know we have work to do,” she said of Washington, the Pacif ic-10 Conference’s second-place team. “Every win is huge. Each victory is sweeter and sweeter.” Payne poured in 24 points — 15 in the second half—while fellow senior Kellie Dalan was close be hind with 23. Together, the duo led Washington (20 6 overall, 12-5 Pac-10) to the convincing victory. The win pushed the Huskies to their first 20-win reg ular season under head coach June Daugherty, who came to the team in 1996. “Everybody had fire in their eyes,” Dalan said. “When you can look at a teammate and they have no doubts, you know you’re OK.” For Oregon, the loss is the team’s first since losing to Stanford on Feb. 6, snapping a three-game win ning streak. The Ducks, according to junior Gathrine Kraayeveld, didn’t necessarily play that badly. Aside from shooting 19 percent from the field in the first half, Oregon’s (11-14, 7-9) poise was key to keeping the game close early on. But the Huskies were a far more experienced team. Washington’s five seniors accounted for 51 of the team’s 75 points. “We ran into a team that was very good and very determined,” Oregon head coach Bev Smith said. “Certainly, they are an experienced team.” Sophomore Andrea Bills led the Ducks with 14 points while Kraayeveld, in just her third game back since suffering a staph infection in her right knee Dec. 26, scored 11. Oregon’s seniors—Alissa Edwards and Kourtney Shreve — played a minimal role in the loss. Edwards had three points in 31 minutes while Shreve ended up with three rebounds and one turnover in 14 min utes. The game marked the last time the two will play at Mac Court in an Oregon uniform. Overall, as a team, the Ducks shot just over 30 percent from the field, and hit on 6-of-20 shots from beyond the 3-point arc. Sophomore Brandi Davis was just 3-of-ll on the night, with all three count ing as treys. “In the beginning, nobody was making anything,” Kraayeveld said. “We rushed a little bit and panicked because our shots weren’t falling and that hurt us.” To say that nobody made anything in the begin ning was spot on, especially for the Husky offense. Daugherty’s squad missed its first six shots of the game and went 1-of-ll from the field in the first six minutes. Oregon, on the other hand, shot just as poorly, hitting for only six points in the first seven minutes. The Ducks finished the half just 5-of-26 from the Turn to Women's, page 8 Shreve bows out in style on Oregon’s Senior Night The senior receives a standing ovation as she walks off McArthur Court for the last time Saturday night Jesse Thomas Sports Reporter 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 sur rounding 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 al ways 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 Ore gon uniform. Shreve said tears would be shed over the experience as the support she has re ceived over the past four years has been over whelming. “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 let terman 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 Turn to Shreve, page 8