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by Adele Williams, Student Contributor

2.000 Point Ball

Nickell holding the game ball with head coach John Mills (right) and assistant coach Nick Adams.

Lady Eagles’ 5’9″ forward Ariel Nickell recently claimed her spot in Alice Lloyd College’s 2,000-Point Club.

Nickell, a senior from Tazewell, Tn., is only the second female from ALC to join the club. The first, Katrina Short, holds the school record for most total points scored for a women’s basketball player with 2,249. Since Nickell is averaging 31 points per game, she has a great shot of breaking that record before the season wraps up in March. If she attains such a feat, Ariel Nickell might well be considered the greatest female basketball player in the history of Alice Lloyd College.

Nickell reached the 2,000-point mark during the Lady Eagles’ game on Friday, November 15th, versus Alabama’s Selma University. She scored 27 points in the contest and was awarded the game ball. She added 18 more points in Saturday’s loss to Carroll College, putting her at the impressive career total of 2,036.

When asked about his star player, Alice Lloyd’s head women’s basketball coach John Mills beamed with pride, saying, “Ariel is a very rare player. She has one of the highest basketball IQs I have ever seen.”

The coach continued, “She is a force to be reckoned with, and other teams have not been able to figure her out. I also coached Katrina Short, and they have a lot in common as basketball players. They have skill, but their strongest attribute as players is their extensive basketball knowledge. They both have that true grit that very few players have. I am very proud of Ariel in so many ways and am thrilled that I have the best seat in the gym to see history taking place.”

Nickell is currently leading NAIA Division II in rebounding and is second in scoring.