By: Nash Loibl, Advanced Graduate Assistant / Strategic Communications

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. –  Black Hills State University redshirt senior Tristan Hurdle and Colorado Mesa University junior Clayton Jewell are the Week 14 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Players of the Week. The RMAC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week awards are presented by Genesee Nutrition.

Offensive
Tristan Hurdle, Black Hills State (R-Senior, Forward, Highlands Ranch, Colorado)
Hurdle was instrumental in the Yellow Jackets’ undefeated weekend, leading BHSU to victories over Colorado School of Mines and Regis University. In Thursday night’s matchup against the Orediggers, the forward poured in 15 points, knocking down five of his seven attempts from beyond the arc. Led by Hurdle, who is Division II’s top three-point shooter this season, BHSU rolled to an 87-69 win over Mines.

Hurdle followed that performance with a season-best 26 points, adding six rebounds and three assists while shooting an efficient 9-of-12 from the field and 8-of-11 from three-point range, all in just 18 minutes of action. His eight made three are tied for the second-most in program history and matched the school’s NCAA Division II-era record for most three-pointers in a single game. The performance equaled his own mark set against Regis on January 9, 2025, and tied PJ Hayes’ total against South Dakota Mines on January 20, 2022.

For the week, the Highlands Ranch native totaled 41 points in 33 minutes, shooting a remarkable 13-of-18 (72%) from deep while adding eight rebounds and three assists.

Others Nominated: Wyatt Helming, Adams State; Jackson Schauer, Chadron State; Clayton Jewell, Colorado Mesa; Alex Romack, Colorado School of Mines; Dylan Sanders, CSU Pueblo; Daniel Thomason, MSU Denver; Ibrahima Sacko, New Mexico Highlands; Cooper Frith, Regis; Jason Lee, South Dakota Mines; Brody Hull, UCCS; Aidan McDowell, Western Colorado; Cole Kadoguchi, Westminster.
 
Defensive
Clayton Jewell, Colorado Mesa (Junior, Forward, Darwin, Australia)
Jewell collected his second RMAC Defensive Player of the Week honor of the 2025-26 season after anchoring the Mavericks on the defensive end in a pair of late-season victories.

Colorado Mesa opened the week with a 100-76 win over Fort Lewis, as Jewell contributed five rebounds, one steal, and one block in 31 minutes during the Top 3 showdown. He elevated his performance on Saturday, impacting both ends of the floor with a 22-point, 12-rebound double-double effort, while adding four blocks and a steal in an 85-80 victory over visiting New Mexico Highlands.

For the week, the Darwin, Australia, native totaled 29 points, 17 rebounds, five blocks, four assists, and two steals. He currently ranks fifth in the RMAC in rebounding (7.2 per game) and fourth in blocks (1.3 per game), continuing to establish himself as one of the conference’s premier defensive presences.

Others Nominated: Myles Johnson, Black Hills State; Luka Djurovic, Chadron State; Alex Romack, Colorado School of Mines; Jordan Blair, CSU Pueblo; Brian Unachukwu, MSU Denver; Nikk Williams, New Mexico Highlands; Luke Soden, Regis; Gray Thompson, South Dakota Mines; Marzouq Abdur-Razaaq, UCCS; Joanis Koulisianis, Western Colorado.

About the RMAC
The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, headquartered in Colorado Springs, is a premier NCAA Division II conference with 15 institutions located in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Utah. The RMAC currently competes in 22 NCAA Division II sports and has earned 70 national championships and 53 national runners-up since 1992. Founded in 1909, the RMAC is the most historic athletic conference in the western United States and Division II.