Qualls Breaks Three-Pointer School Record Once Again
By: Nick Creasia
Staff Writer
Nicole Qualls, a sophomore from Sumner, was about to get the ball on offense with her team up 21-17. With an opportunity to make a shot from outside the perimeter, not only did Nicole send the ball through the net for a triple to put her team up 24-17, she sent the Gator followers into hysteria with her 79th three-pointer shot.
Breaking the school record for most three-point shots made in a season, “It really was a relief for me, I wanted to break the record a game or two ago, but I’m glad I was able to get it done last week. I’m happy we got the win too,” Qualls said.
Qualls broke the school record with 78 three-pointers made in a season her freshman year back in 2015. She seems to have never missed a beat with her return, “I took some time off from school and basketball because I wasn’t quite in the right spot mentally, I was losing my love for the game as well. My dad played a big part in getting me back into school and playing for Green River once again,” Qualls said.
Qualls currently has 85 three-pointers made this season, ranking top 3 in the Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC). Head Coach Karim McDonald praises Qualls and the major contributions she has provided to the team with her record-breaking season, “It was a really good moment,” McDonald said.
Coach McDonald was thrilled initially to find out prior to the season that Qualls would be making a return. “I personally wanted to call a timeout after she made the shot because it was a big deal. She’s such a competitor that her first priority was to win, but it was still very special and I’m proud of her,” McDonald said.
When the game finished everybody was amazed, including the coach. “She’s phenomenal. We had a great conversation on the phone beforehand. She has such a great shot, she’s a gym rat, and she’s vastly improved. I was ecstatic to find out she was returning. Her track record from Sumner High and freshman year [at Green River College] speaks for itself,” McDonald said.
Her statistics this sophomore year back her coach’s words, with over 300 points, exceeding 150 rebounds and playing the role of a workhorse making NWAC’s top five list averaging 37.1 minutes played per game. “Coach McDonald just gets me as a player and as a person, he really understands how to get people on the team motivated and he’s a huge part of why I love being here,” Qualls said.
Women’s basketball for Green River College has seen an improvement from the year before, with a couple wins on the season and just recently defeating Grays Harbor last week 65-50. Coach McDonald continues to keep his eyes forward in his first season following this special record-breaking event. “Changing the culture has been a big part of making a difference with this team and being a part of a great team involves an environment of competitiveness,” McDonald said.
Keeping the team focused on the sole purpose of winning, Qualls and Coach McDonald are both on the same page for finishing aggressive and strong. At the same time, however, making sure this year’s veterans lead by example and allow the young players to develop for the final few games to play in the season. “Even in a game of Bingo, I want to win every time. Practice translates to confidence and that’s how we’ve been treating our work,” McDonald said.
Coach McDonald explains that he is looking forward to the last couple of games and the next season, “I’d really like to see our freshmen get prepared for a leadership role and we’ve got about four or five freshmen that I’d like to see step up and get prepared for next year,” McDonald said.
Qualls is not worried about coaching decisions for the tail end of the season as they are aready focusing on next year’s tournament. “Well, we only have a couple of games left,” said Qualls. “Our goal now is to finish the season strong. I really want to beat Pierce when we get down there too,”.
How many more three-pointers Qualls will get is the last thing on her mind at this point “I don’t care how many more I get, I just want to win,” Qualls said.
The Green River College women’s team will finish the season playing vs Centralia College at home followed by a season finale on the road against Pierce College.
Photo Cred: Nick Creasia
