Nygal Russell sealed Southeast Missouri’s season-opening 71-66 win over Kansas City this past Saturday with an eight-point stretch over the final minutes of the game. A native of Houston, Texas, Russell made two huge 3-pointers in the last 57 seconds. He drained his first of those two clutch threes to put the Redhawks ahead, 68-64, after KC made it a one-point game. Then, following two KC free throws which narrowed SEMO’s lead to 68-66 with 33 seconds to go, Russell delivered the final blow with his long range trey as the shot clock expired providing the Redhawks a 71-66 advantage. Russell, who scored eight of his 14 points in the game during the final 2:32, intercepted the inbound pass with two seconds remaining to bury the Roos for good. His game-changing effort helped Brad Korn earn his first win as SEMO’s head coach.
