"I pictured myself being out there, but I couldn't be," Arndtson said later, her voice trailing off, her eyes turning red with tears.
The last time Arndtson was on this court, she was basking in personal and team glory. The season couldn't have ended any sweeter for her or the Sioux.
As a freshman last March she scored a career-high 23 points and added 10 rebounds to help lift the Sioux to a 92-76 victory against Emporia State of Kansas in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight women's basketball final.
Tuesday, she returned to the scene as a member of the team's official travel party. A knee injury suffered during the nonconference season forced her to sport sweats in
stead of a practice jersey and shorts while the team practiced for today's national quarterfinal against Kennesaw State of Georgia.
Arndtson's season outlook changed on Dec. 13 after she jumped for a ball against Jamestown College in Grand Forks.
"I caught the ball, but on the way down my knee gave out," she said. "Right away I started crying, because I was scared ... that it was an ACL."
Her worst fears were true, of course. She suffered anterior cruciate ligament damage. But despite the injury, officials thought she might be able to resume playing after rehabilitation, thus surgery was postponed until after the season.
She was set to return to the UND lineup on Jan. 30, when the Sioux played at North Dakota State. She practiced early that week.
"I just wanted to dress, to put on a uniform again," Arndtson said.
Then, on the Wednesday before the Bison game, she jumped to block a pass and twisted the knee again. At that point, her season was finished.
Arndtson, who glows when she talks about playing basketball, wasn't the only one devastated by the news.
"That's probably one of the hardest blows I've had in coaching," UND coach Gene Roebuck said.
No. 1, the 5-foot-11 power forward Arndtson is a solid, hard-nosed player.
"She was such an electrifying player," Roebuck said. "When she stepped onto the floor, you knew something was going to happen. You knew the tempo was going to increase. She was always so active.
"She was a source of energy for our team."
No. 2, the sophomore comes from a broken home. Her parents haven't been able to attend many games, including last year's Elite Eight tournament. She's developed a closeness to the team and the coaching staff.
And her love for basketball hasn't changed since she arrived at UND. Tranquility is what she finds on the court.
"Nothing matters except what's going on out there," she said.
"I get into it. I just love being out there."
Arndtson has played basketball ever since she can remember. She and her twin sister, Becky, often shot games of P-I-G and H-O-R-S-E outside their Austin, Minn., home.
"But she never wanted to play me one-on-one," Arndtson said.
Becky isn't the only one who doesn't enjoy such battles with Mandy.
"When she's on the basketball floor, she's in her own little environment, her own little world," Roebuck said.
She plays the game with passion, the coach said.
"You have to talk about the little things -- not just making baskets," Roebuck said. "It's an offensive rebound, a good defensive play, hustle on transition -- all of those things create that passion."
After being sidelined most of a season, Arndtson indicates that her love for basketball should only become greater. She says she will appreciate the little things more. She has two years of eligibility remaining and is expected to recover fully from Feb. 10 surgery.
An Elite Eight all-tournament selection in 1998, Arndtson will be missed on the court over the next few days.
"She loves to play in big games," Roebuck said. "And she understands what she has to do in those games. Each time we took our team to the next level this year, it's been very hard on Mandy."