It was the summer after her freshman year at Blue Mountain Community College when Mar’Shay Moore developed her game.
Not interested in returning to her home of Northeast Portland, and under a tight budget, she took her first job as custodian waxing floors and cleaning bathrooms at the college’s gym. It was hard work, but it provided an opportunity for Moore as well.
“I realized I had the keys, so then I might as well go shoot during breaks,” Moore said.
That summer, Moore paved her way to becoming a University of Oregon women’s basketball player. She developed an outside shot, picked up attention from other coaches in her league and grew close to her small community in Pendleton, Oregon. Now, she’s a spark off the bench and a speedy defender for the Ducks, who open Pac-12 Tournament play in Seattle Thursday.
Blue Mountain head coach Adam Driver said he’s never had a student-athlete scrub floors and spend more time in the gym.
“She’s willing to do whatever it takes to be successful,” Driver said.
The extra time paid off. The next season, she improved her outside shooting dramatically. For example, she scored a blistering 40 points, including going 7-for-14 from 3-point range, against Walla Walla Community College.
“A lot of kids talk about getting to the next level, but there’s not many kids who would put in as much work as she did to get there,” Driver said. “To spend as many hours in the gym to make it happen, that doesn’t happen very often.”
After scoring a NWAC Tournament record 123 points over four games, she began to receive scholarship offers. She took a visit to East Carolina, but wrestled with moving across the country. And it was then that Oregon coach Kelly Graves made the five-hour drive, on recommendation from another coach, to see Moore.
“They all had nothing but great things to say,” Graves said about the five coaches he called to talk about her. “That’s the only reason I drove clear to Pendleton and back in one day. It was because people that I trust said that you’ll love her as a person and a player. … It was a no-brainer.”
She verbally committed in April of last year and signed two days later, becoming the first from BMCC to sign with a Power Five conference team. At first, she couldn’t believe she achieved a long-standing goal.
“At first it didn’t feel real,” Moore said. “But once I came here, it was like ‘This is such a beautiful moment.’”
Since arriving at Oregon, Moore has stayed in close touch with Driver. When he came down to watch a game, he wasn’t surprised to see the same intensity she brought to BMCC on display at Matthew Knight Arena. Moore is often the center of the team huddle before each game.
“She’s kind of a free spirit,” Driver said. “We definitely miss it. … Her attitude is so infectious. She’s always upbeat and brings that swagger to the floor. That rubs off on everybody.”
Moore remembers her days in Pendleton fondly. A small community of 17,000 people, Pendleton became a second home. In Eugene, she’s found that same type of community. She’s played in 23 games for the Ducks this season coming off the bench. She had a career-high of 13 points against Portland State.
“It’s so amazing to be here and know the team has my back,” Moore said, as she prepares to wrap up her first year at Oregon.
Follow Jonathan Hawthorne on Twitter @Jon_Hawthorne