Fort Lewis College Athletics

Jude Tapia

Jude Tapia (12) drives to the key against the ThunderWolves in Plachy Hall (Feb. 22, 2025)

Skyhawks ink reigning RMAC scoring leader

6/16/2025 3:00:00 PM

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

DURANGO, Colo. – The 2024-25 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference men's basketball scoring leader now resides in Durango. Head coach Jordan Mast has signed Jude Tapia, a five-foot-eleven senior guard from Wolf Creek Pass rival Adams State University, for the 2025-26 season.

Tapia, an Albuquerque High School graduate from Albuquerque, N.M., was a Second-Team All-RMAC selection and a First-Team All-Academic honoree last year after leading the conference with 17.4 points per game, firing on clips of 45.3 percent from the floor, 43.1 percent from the three-point line, and 81.8 percent at the free throw line. In addition, Tapia ranked seventh in Division II, averaging 3.46 three-point field goals per game, and 17^th in DII in three-point field goal percentage.

"We are thrilled to add Jude Tapia to our roster for this upcoming season," Mast said. "Jude was a player we got to play against this past year, and we saw, firsthand, how dynamic of a guard he is. His ability to space the floor, his work ethic, and the standard of excellence he holds himself to led to him being an All-RMAC player who led the conference in scoring. One of our key areas that we needed to improve for this next season was our offensive efficiency, and we took a huge step in the right direction with the signing of Jude. We expect big things from him this year, and we think the fans and community will love watching this young man in a Skyhawks uniform."

On the hardwood, Tapia burst onto the scene, making 25 starts across his 28 games played and averaging 32.1 minutes per game en route to 898 minutes for the season. His efforts spanned up and down the court, pulling down 3.1 rebounds per game (86) while supplying 3.1 assists per game (88), grabbing 1.5 steals per game (41), and making a pair of blocks. As a sophomore at Adams State, Tapia made 10 starts across 19 games, averaged 6.6 points per game on 40.6 percent shooting, and tallied 373 minutes. He joined the Grizzlies following one season with National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I member Frank Phillips College in Borger, Texas.

Tapia was also a strong student off the floor, earning a nod to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team in 2024-25, an award that honors student-athletes who make significant contributions on the floor in addition to maintaining a 3.5+ grade point average.

Last season, Fort Lewis returned to the RMAC Tournament for the fifth consecutive season and made its third-straight appearance in the tournament's semifinals. The Skyhawks posted a 19-12 overall record and a 12-8 mark in conference play, earning three all-conference selections. Off the court, the program maintained a 3.04 Grade Point Average as a team through the fall semester.

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