Get To Know The Name DeWayne Russell

Northern Arizona got their first win of the year, snapping an 18 game win streak with an 85-82 victory over UC Davis. Gabe Rogers led the team with 27 points, but it was a coming out party for DeWayne Russell.

Russell had an efficient 25 points, shooting 8/12 from the field (5/8 from downtown, 4/4 from the FT line), grabbing four rebounds, dishing out six assists, and adding two steals to boot. He scored 21 in the first half.

"DeWayne was unconscious in the first half," said Murphy. "He had 21 at the half and had 25 points on 12 shots. Do you know how difficult that is to do in a Division I basketball game? This is only his third game. He is a special player and is exactly who we thought he was when we recruited him."

Russell was a great scorer in high school, and that has translated quite nicely to the college level. I said he has a chance to lead the Big Sky in scoring at some point in his career, but he is more prolific early in his career than I even thought he would be. Before the year, it was clear that he was talented, but it was tough to see where he would get a ton of time because of the people in front of him. Now, it's clear to see that he will be a big factor for NAU all year long.

It's a time where NAU is rebuilding, and Russell is a great building block for Jack Murphy's program.

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