Hobart Brickies 5'8" star guard Grayce Roach has agreed to continue her education and basketball career at Indiana University Northwest beginning on the Fall of 2014.
Roach offered her commitment to IU Northwest Head Coach Ryan Shelton shortly after pouring in a career high 27 points in a narrow 61-60 loss to Whiting in the Hanover Holiday Tournament on December 28.
Roach has led a Hobart team decimated by injuries to a 9-3 record while leading the Brickies with a 15.1 scoring average while leading the team in assists (2.0) and three point shooting 33% and is second on the team with 4.1 rebounds per game. Roach is converting on 48% of her field goal attempts from the floor this season for the Brickies. Earlier this season Roach torched Kankakee Valley for 26 points including 3 triples and 8 rebounds in a 58-52 overtime victory on December 13.
"It's very exciting for our university and basketball program to receive Grayce's commitment to IU Northwest and RedHawks Basketball. As a great student, teammate and player, Grayce was our primary recruiting target for this class dating back to her junior year. Her development and improvement each year has been outstanding. Grayce's combination of strength and athleticism makes her a perfect fit for our defensive schemes and up-tempo style of play," according to IUN Head Coach Ryan Shelton.
"Grayce's ability to run the offense from the point guard position and (or) score like a true shooting guard will make her a very versatile player at the college level and isa stout defender and rebounder. She is a tireless worker committed to improving her game and is equally committed academically. Coach Hamacher (Hobart) has done a great job coaching and developing Grayce and preparing her for the success she is having now and will have in college." added Shelton.
Roach has scored in double figures in each game this season with the exception of a 54-12 blowout victory over Morton in which she played less than two quarters and has already tallied at least 17 points in a game five times this season. The senior captain, also an All-Northwest Crossroads Conference selection last year was also chosen to the 2013-14 Times All-Area Pre-Season Girls Basketball Team.
Hobart High School Coach Mike Hamacher added the following about Roach, "Grayce is the best at every position on the floor for our team and can shoot it or take it to the basket with power." As a junior Roach averaged 9.6 points per game en route to Brickie Most Valuable Player honors. She grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds in a win over Munster on Nov. 30, 2012 and was later named a Post-Tribune All-Area Honorable Mention selection.
Grayce will join former Hobart teammate and RedHawks redshirt freshmen forward Caitilin Leath on next year's team. Grayce intends to major in either Pre-Professional Health Studies or Business while at IU Northwest and will wear #34 for the RedHawks beginning next fall.