Kean senior forward Shervon James was named to the 2004 NCAA Division III Kodak/WBCA All-America Basketball Team, as announced by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association and Eastman Kodak Company on March 18.

James became the first player in program history to earn Kodak/WBCA All-American distinction. In 2003-04, she also earned Kodak/WBCA Region Three All-America, D3hoops.com Atlantic Region First Team and New Jersey Athletic Conference first-team honors and was also named NJAC Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season.

She led the NJAC in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 18.4 points and 12.3 rebounds per game. James also led the Cougars in blocks (51) and steals (67), ranking second and fifth in the conference respectively. For the season, she shot 51.0 percent from the field (205-402) and 66.9 percent from the charity stripe (83-124).

A two-time NJAC Player of the Week selection, James was also named to the D3hoops.com Team of the Week for the week ending January 17, 2004.

The only Cougar to start every game this season, James became the second player in school history to score 1000 points and grab 1000 rebounds. The program's all-time leading rebounder, she finished her career with 1,083 rebounds. She also ranks eighth in scoring with 1,142 points in 106 career games.

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NJCU senior guard Samar Battle was selected as a 2004 NABC Division III First-Team All-American by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. With his selection, Battle becomes only the second NJCU player ever named as an NABC First-Team All-American, and the first in 25 years.

Named NJAC Player of the Year on February 24 after guiding NJCU to a 21-6 regular season record and the NJAC regular season title, he led the Knights to a league-record 11^th conference championship in men’s basketball by defeating Rowan University, 88-75, on February 28, and the school’s first crown since 1994-95.The NJAC title gave NJCU an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, the 16th NCAA appearance for the Gothic Knights since 1973 and its first since 1998-99.

After a first-round bye, the Knights defeated Lycoming College in the Second Round, 74-67, before losing to eventual Final Four qualifier Amherst College, 92-74, on March 12. It was NJCU’s sixth appearance in the Sweet 16 in school history, and the Knights tied for the seventh most wins in the program’s annals with 22.

In 29 games during the 2003-04 season, he scored 598 points for a 20.6 scoring average, and had 225 rebounds for a 7.8 per game rate. He also rejected 1.79 blocks per game (52), and added 1.9 assists, and 1.7 steals while shooting .495 from the field (235-475) and .324 from three-point range (45-139). With a season-ending 20.6 per game scoring average, he became the first NJCU player since 1987-88 to average 20 points per game for a season. His 598 points are second most in NJCU single-season history. He also graduates as the seventh-leading scorer in school history with 1507 points and a career 15.5 average in 97 games. He is the all-time leader in blocked shots with 156.

In the final 2004 NJAC statistical rankings, he is in the Top 15 in the league in nine categories: first in total points, first in offensive rebounds (3.76 per game, 109), first in blocks, second in scoring, fifth in rebounding, 12^th (tied) in defensive rebounds (4.00, 116), 12th in three-pointers made (1.55 per game), 13th in field goal percentage, and 15^th in three-point field goal percentage.

A three-time NJAC Player of the Week selection and two-time ECAC Division III Metro Player of the Week, Battle was also picked to the D3Hoops.com National Team of the Week on December 9, and the New Jersey Hoops Magazine Division III Player of the Month for December 2003. He was Second-Team All-NJAC in 2001-02, and NJAC Rookie of the Year in 2000-01.