UND was in no mood to celebrate any part of its expected 91-47 nonconference women's basketball win over Jamestown College on Sunday at Hyslop Sports Center.
The win lost all meaning after sophomore Mandy Arndtson went down with a knee injury four minutes into the game. The extent of her injury wasn't immediately known but it certainly commanded the attention of Sioux players and coaches.
"My heart sank when it happened," Sioux point guard Jaime Pudenz said. "It was scary."
Arndtson, whose play as a freshman keyed UND to its second straight national Division II title, suffered the injury as she was preparing to complete a fastbreak basket. As she landed after catching a pass, her leg buckled before she could attempt a layup from the left baseline.
She spent the rest of the first half in the training room and sat on the Sioux bench in the second. UND's leading scorer is expected to have her knee further examined today.
"We don't know how severe the injury is," Sioux coach Gene Roebuck said. "We won't know for a day or so. I'm not a doctor and I'm trying not to dwell on it. We're hoping for the best and preparing for the worst.
"She's a very, very important part of this team. But until they say she can't step on the floor, I anticipate her playing."
Arndtson's teammates also were hoping for the best after the game.
"We need Mandy big time," said UND's Katie Richards, who turned in another monster game with 21 points and 8 assists. "We were shell-shocked when she went down. We knew right away that it wasn't a little twisted ankle or something like that.
"But we had to forget about it and play the game."
Jamestown, led by Keri Bakker's 13 points, stayed with the Sioux for the first 12 minutes. Bakker's offensive rebound and basket cut UND's one-time 12-point lead to three (23-20) with eight minutes left in the half.
The Sioux, however, shook off Arndtson's injury and Jamestown's inspired play with a 17-0 run. With their running game at full throttle, the Sioux used balanced scoring to pull away from the Jimmies. During the blitz, Tonia Jones, Jenny Hoffner, Richards, Jenny Crouse, Casey Carroll and Pudenz all scored. Crouse finished with 15 points while Carroll and Hoffner ended with 14 and 10.
The win closed out UND's nonconference season at 9-0. The Sioux now will direct their all-out transition game at the North Central Conference.
The Sioux will carry an 89.1 points-per-game average into the league season, which begins Saturday at home against Northern Colorado. But UND's ability to score at a rapid pace has been helped by Arndtson, who is averaging 17.1 points.
"You have to step up and keep playing," Pudenz said of Arndtson's injury. "You can't do much about it after the fact."