Women's Basketball | 11/14/2014 1:59:00 PM

Moon Township, Pa. – Robert Morris University women's basketball head coach Sal Buscaglia announced the signing of guards Nia Adams and Caitlin Roche Friday afternoon. Adams and Roche were teammates on the EYBL Nike Elite New Jersey Sparks, a team that is consistently one of the top-five AAU teams in the country.
 
"We are very happy to have Nia and Caitlin coming to RMU. They are both exceptional students, players, and people. Each player will bring a very exciting element to our team for the next four years," said Buscaglia. "Nia has a quick first step and will bring a long, athletic presence on both ends of the court.  Caitlin will impress many with her ability to shoot the deep three-pointer with a very quick release, and distributes the ball well in the open floor and the half court setting.
 
"Both players proved a great deal to the coaching staff as each of the players have led their high school programs very well in having successful runs for their respective titles and also playing a valuable part for the New Jersey Sparks in the EYBL Nike Elite program for their AAU careers. Playing valuable roles for the Elite Team on a nationally top-ranked AAU program which plays against the highest level of players the country will always go a long way when making this jump to the Division I level," said Buscaglia.
 
Adams is a 5'10" guard from Paterson, N.J., who led Paterson Eastside to a Group 4 State Title last season. Paterson Eastside also won the Passaic County Championship along with its second straight sectional title. Individually, Adams has been an all-county selection since her freshman season, garnering first-team honors in both 2012-13 and 2013-14. She is also a two-time Defensive Player of the Year.
 
No slouch in the classroom, Adams earned scholar athletic awards in 2013 and 2014. Adams attends Rosa L. Parks School of Fine & Performing Arts, which is one of the 10 Star Schools selected by the New Jersey Department of Education. A member of the National Honor Society, she is ranked second in her class carrying a 4.3 grade point average.
 
Roche, a 5'7" guard, led Immaculate Heart to a Non-Public A championship in 2013-14. Roche averaged 11.3 points per game, earning her a spot on the all-state squad. It was the second year she was listed among the all-state honorees. Roche has also earned spots on the all-league, all-county and All-North Jersey squads in each of the last two seasons.
 
The senior is a member of the honor roll at Immaculate Heart, and carries above a 3.0 weighted GPA for her high school academic career.
 
The Robert Morris University women's basketball team is coming off its fifth Northeast Conference championship and its third title under Buscaglia who is entering his 12th season at the helm of the Colonials program. RMU went 22-12 in 2013-14, winning the NEC regular season and tournament titles and earning its third NCAA Tournament berth. The Colonials open the 2014-15 season at 19th-ranked Iowa Sunday, Nov. 16.