Fort Lewis College Athletics

Tru Allen RMAC Week 11 Defensive Player of the Week

Allen nabs Week 11 RMAC Defensive Player of the Week

1/27/2025 2:00:00 PM

By: Hayden Mangan, Assistant AD-Communications & Fan Engagement

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – For the fourth time this season, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference's Defensive Player of the Week resides in Durango, with fifth-year guard Tru Allen bringing home the conference's latest honor.

Fort Lewis earns its sixth weekly award of the season and its fourth defensive honor to lead the league in both categories.

Allen, a six-foot-two transfer from Northwest Nazarene (NCAA Division II) last fall, picks up his second weekly award after being named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference's Player of the Week with the Nighthawks back on Dec. 4, 2023.

Fort Lewis stymied Colorado Christian (7-11, 3-7 RMAC) defensively last Thursday, downing the Cougars 74-38, marking the fewest points scored by an NCAA opponent in program history. The Skyhawks then made an incredible 15-point come-back against UCCS (11-7, 5-5 RMAC) to overcome the Mountain Lions, 87-84.

Against the Cougars, Allen led the Skyhawks offense with a game-high 17 points while tying for a game-high seven rebounds, six of which came off the defensive glass. In addition to committing just one turnover, Allen made one assist and nabbed a game-high four steals. Fort Lewis made 15 total steals on 25 forced turnovers while holding CCU to 25.6 percent shooting.

Later, against UCCS, Allen scored just six points. However, Allen's biggest impact came with 23 seconds left in the game, with Fort Lewis trailing 82-81. In a span of 11.2 seconds, Allen drove to cup after a steal and finished between two defenders before immediately stealing the in-bounds pass from the Mountain Lions and laying it in to suddenly take an 85-82 lead, which stood as the difference-maker in the final seconds of the contest.

Allen currently ranks 18^th in scoring (13.0 pts/game), 10^th in assists (2.9 asts/game), third in overall steals (1.9 stls/game), and first in steals in conference play (2.4 asts/game).

Fort Lewis is back on the road this week with another trip to the Front Range to take on No. 7/6 Colorado School of Mines (15-3, 9-1 RMAC) on Thursday, Jan. 30, at 7:30 p.m. followed by a rematch with No. 13/11 MSU Denver (14-4, 8-2 RMAC) on Saturday, Feb. 1, at 3 p.m.

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