ATLANTA, Ga. (3/16/07) - The accolades continue to pour in for Kean University sophomore sensation Melissa Beyruti (Union City, N.J.), as the guard was recently named to the 2007 Kodak/Women's Basketball Coaches Association Honorable Mention All-American Team by the WBCA and Eastman Kodak Company on Friday morning. Beyruti had a record-breaking campaign in leading the Cougars to one of the most successful seasons in women's basketball history, coming one win away from advancing to the Final Four. The team tied the program record for wins in a season, finishing the year 27-4 overall and capturing the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship.

The sophomore becomes the fourth player under Head Coach Michele Sharp to earn Kodak/WBCA All-America honors, and the first to earn the honor as a sophomore.

The most prolific three-point shooter in program history, Beyruti was also named to the NJAC First Team after leading the conference in scoring and three-pointers. She finished the season with 545 points (17.6 points per game) and a school-record 110 three-pointers. The NCAA leader in three pointers per game (3.5), she became the first player in school history (men's or women's) to eclipse 100 three pointers in a season and her 110 treys is tied for fifth all-time in NCAA Division III single-season history.

Beyruti hit the biggest three-pointer in program history when she drained the game-winner in the NJAC championship game as time expired, giving the Cougar a 62-59 victory over host William Paterson University and the program's league record 11th NJAC title.

This season, Beyruti also broke the single-game three-point record on January 24, 2007, when she drained nine three-pointers en-route to a career-high 33 points in the Cougars' 82-48 victory over Rutgers-Camden. She is also the program's all-time three-point leader with 173 career three-pointers.
Earlier this week, Beyruti earned D3hoops.com Atlantic Region Second-Team honors.

This season, the Cougars faced three of the 10 players named to the 2007 NCAA Division III Kodak/WBCA All-America Team. Kean battled University of Scranton senior Taryn Mellody in the regular season and both Messiah College junior Nikki Lobach and New York University sophomore Jessica McEntee in the NCAA Tournament. In addition, the Cougars also played against William Paterson University senior Luci Custis, Montclair State University senior Stephanie Machin and University of Scranton senior Allison Matt who were all named Honorable Mention All-Americans by the WBCA along with Beyruti.

This year's team marks the 25th year of the Division III Kodak/WBCA All-America Basketball Team, which began in 1983. Selection committees in each of the eight WBCA geographical regions select ten of the top women's basketball players in the nation to be honored.