Grabbing confidence
Arundel leads all scorers with 15 points as Macs top Marist
In her second varsity season, sophomore guard Quinn Arundel is no longer running scared for Mother McAuley. Instead, she’s calmly and efficiently running the show.
By her own admission, she was a bundle of nerves as a freshman taking on juniors and seniors. But by March, she had shed her concerns, stepping into a larger world.
“I feel like after our last game against Kenwood, when we lost, and going into summer league, my nerves just stopped,” Arundel said. “I feel like it was an eye-opening time.
“We should have given them a better game.”
Arundel couldn’t have been better Wednesday night, leading all scorers with 15 points in a 51-38 win at Marist that had a playoff atmosphere despite being just before the holidays.
The 5-foot-5 Arundel is fast with the ball and can shoot, too, all traits that helped McAuley (8-4) keep the Redhawks at bay in the first half of the nonconference showdown.
In one sequence early in the second quarter, Arundel hit a 3-pointer, and then on Marist’s ensuing possession, she poked her hand into a pass, raced down the floor and hit a layup.
She’s not afraid to sacrifice her body, either. Her final act was a drive down the left side of the lane with 2:49 to go. She made a layup and essentially slid into the Mighty Macs’ student section.
A few seconds later, she rose with a smile on her face.
“I think she’s made a big jump from freshman year to now,” McAuley coach Curtis Lewis said. “I think her freshman year, she was getting acclimated to the speed and the physicality of the game.
“I think she’s going to continue to get better.”
Marist (3-8), likewise, is seeking better days, with a bright future built on freshmen guards Grace Harmon and Caroline Flynn. Harmon had 12 points and pair