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 of 3-pointers, while Flynn added six points and five rebounds.

Arundel is fortunate that her running mate is senior guard Grace Gambotz, a neighbor who lives down the street in Palos Heights. The two drive to school together every day.

In Arundel’s younger days, and especially during the pandemic, she and Gambotz and other neighborhood kids would play basketball in the driveway.

Between that and playing on the same team the past two winters, you would think there would be plenty of talk about basketball during those car rides.

But in this case, not really.

“We spend our car rides talking about school, talking about friends, catching up,” Gambotz said. “We really never talk about basketball in the car.”

Still, Arundel does look up to Gambotz and fellow seniors Morgan Feil, Sarah Ternes and Maeve Egan, who scored 11 points against Marist. 

On Wednesday, all five started for the Mighty Macs.

“Quinn is a great ballhandler,” Gambotz said. “We never really need to help her in the backcourt. When she draws attention and she penetrates and everyone caves in, we’re able to get shots.

“She’s huge for us.”

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As the point guard for those seniors, Arundel is learning the finer points of leadership, which will be important as the rest of her high school career unfolds.

Her ultimate goal is to play Division I in college, but that’s in the distance.

“I feel like I’ve been using my voice more and directing people more than I did last year,” she said.

Arundel also recognizes there are other players who are nervous just like she used to be.

Her advice?

“Don’t put your head down if you miss,” she said. “I feel like you have to help your team to lose the nerves.”

Gregg Voss is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.