March 4, 2004
RICHMOND, Va. (Mar. 4, 2004) - George Mason sophomore forward Jai Lewis (Aberdeen, MD/Aberdeen/Maine Central Institute) and senior guard Mark Davis (Springfield, VA/R.E. Lee/Palm Beach CC) received All-CAA accolades at the 2004 Colonial Athletic Association banquet held Thursday evening in Richmond, VA. Lewis was named to the All-CAA first team, while Davis garnered All-CAA second team honors for the second consecutive season, in voting conducted by the league's 10 head coaches, the media, and sports information directors.
A three-time Pioneer Electronics CAA Player of the Week selection and 2003 CAA All-Rookie team honoree, Lewis led George Mason in scoring and rebounds, averaging 14.6 points and 7.6 boards per game. The 6-7 native of Aberdeen, MD also led the Patriots in field goal percentage at 59.5 percent, blocked shots with 27 and tied for third with 25 steals and added 32 assists on the year. Among conference leaders, Lewis ended the regular season ranked sixth in scoring average, third in rebounding, second in field goal percentage and tied for seventh in blocked shots. His free throw percentage of 68.5 percent also ranked 15th in the league.
A starter in 23 of 27 games, Lewis recorded three 20+ scoring outings and had double-figures in 22 contests, including a career-best of 26 points at Delaware on Jan. 28. He grabbed 10 or more rebounds seven times, and notched six double-doubles on the year, collecting a career-high 16 caroms against William & Mary, Jan. 31. He has led or tied for the George Mason lead in scoring 13 times and in rebounding 20 times.
For his career, Lewis is tied for second all-time in Patriot history with a 57.3 field goal percentage. He has started 32 of 55 games and has averaged 10.6 points and 6.6 rebounds.
Davis, a 6-5 swingman and preseason All-CAA first team selection who saw action at both the shooting guard and small forward positions for the Patriots, earned his second bid the All-CAA teams after concluding the regular season ranked second on the team in scoring and rebounding at 14.2 and 4.0, respectively. He began the year scoring in double figures seven times and had 20 or more points four times in the first eight games, before being sidelined with an ankle injury. He returned two games later to score in double figures in nine more games, including a career-best 32-point outing at Drexel on Jan. 26.
Davis led the Patriots in steals with 47, was third in blocked shots (13) and ranked second in field goal and 3-point percentage at 46.4 and 37.2, respectively. Among conference leaders, the versatile player ranked seventh in scoring, ninth in field goal percentage and second in steals per game (1.88 spg). He was Mason's leading scorer in eight games and was the team's leading rebounder three times.
A junior college transfer in his final season at Mason, Davis was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division I All-District 4 second team Feb. 18. For his career, he lists among the Patriot all-time leaders in scoring with 788 points, is 15th in 3-point field goals made (79) and is 17th in steals (101).
George Mason enters the 2004 Pioneer CAA Men's Basketball Tournament as the No. 3 seed and will face sixth-seeded Delaware, Saturday at 8:30 p.m. in the Richmond Coliseum. The Patriots (19-8, 12-6), winners of the 1989, 1999 and 2001 CAA tournament crowns, have won three straight and seven of their last nine contests this season.
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