Russell shines for record crowd in senior night win

Introduced last on senior night to a standing ovation from the record crowd of 7,502 on Saturday, Grand Canyon point guard DeWayne Russell was swallowed up in his coach’s arms.

After coach Dan Majerle handed a glass-enclosed jersey to Russell before the game, they embraced, a player-coach connection that Russell thrived under in his three years back home.

The point guard then went out and did all the things that made him so great this season. He utilized his quickness to score under and around bigger players. He hit teammates in stride, sometimes with a no-look bounce pass, for dunks. And he showed toughness, fighting for rebounds and second-chance points in GCU’s 84-77 victory over MissouriKansas City.

The Antelopes (21-9, 10-3) finish the regular season next Saturday at firstplace CSU Bakersfield.

Russell had 19 points, nine assists and seven steals.

Even though the Antelopes went the final 3:46 without a field goal, Russell did the little things to keep UMKC (1515, 7-6) from getting closer than four in the final minute.

He rebounded a long 3 miss by the Kangaroos with 56 seconds left. That led to a long pass at the other end to Oscar Frayer, who was fouled. Frayer made the two free throws.

Russell then got LaVell Boyd to charge into him for a turnover.

With GCU leading 83-77 and Russell at the line with 25 seconds to play, the student-section Havocs began chanting “M-V-P.”

Russell made one of two, rebounded the Kangaroos’ last miss and held the ball and waved to the students as the game ended.

Russell sat out the first year at GCU. Late last season, Russell was granted a waiver from the NCAA for a fifth year.

Despite having to first sit out games against Duke and Penn State to start the season, Russell carried the Antelopes on most nights. His quickness, passing, shooting and toughness were on full display in the first 20 minutes when he had 10 points, five assists and five rebounds.

Josh Braun, picking up where he left off Thursday when he had 9 3pointers in a rout of Chicago State, had 16 points in the first half, making 3 of 7 3-pointers. Braun finished with 28 points.