DURHAM, N.H. – University of New Hampshire women's basketball interim head coach Kelsey Hogan announced that Paige Cote, Adara Groman and Bella Stuart each signed a National Letter of Intent to join the Wildcats this fall.
"I am very excited about this incoming class with three young ladies who bring a lot of versatility to our Wildcat family," Hogan said. "We feel Paige, Adara and Bella will make an immediate impact and be huge contributors this season."
Paige Cote
Cote is a 6-foot-2 center who starred at Sanford High School in Sanford, Maine, and graduated as the school's valedictorian and all-time scoring leader (1,025 points). Cote averaged a double-double (17.3 points, 10.4 rebounds) her senior season for a Spartans team that reached the Class AA South championship game; she was subsequently nominated for the Gatorade Maine Girls' Player of the Year Award and was named to the All-Southern Maine Athletics Association (SMAA) First Team for the second straight season. As a junior in 2018-19, Cote averaged 17.2 points and 9.2 rebounds/game. A four-time all-academic team player who earned a cumulative 4.00 GPA and plans to major in business at UNH, Cote was named to the SMAA All-Rookie Team her freshman season, earned the Coach's Award in 2018 and was tabbed a Class II South McDonald's All-Star in 2019 when Sanford advanced to the Western Maine Championship game. As a standout for the Maine Firecrackers AAU National A Team (2019) and National B Team (2017-18), Cote was a member of the Atlantic City Showcase Champions (2019), Nike TOC Bracket Champions (2018) and USJN Top Division Final Four (2019). Her AAU program produced Wildcat alumnae Sarah Clement '20 and Ashley Storey '20.
What Interim Head Coach Kelsey Hogan says "Paige will give us a strong, inside presence who has the ability to push the tempo with her speed and willingness to run the floor. Along with being a force in the front court, her presence on the defensive end due to her length and athleticism will make her a true impact player at UNH."
Adora Groman
Groman is a 5-foot-8 guard who joins the Wildcats by way of Worcester Academy and, previously, as a 1,000-point scorer in three seasons (including eighth grade) and all-time leading scorer (1,198 points) at Berwick Academy. The Hopkinton, Mass., native was a member of the gold-medal-winning USA team that competed in the 2019 European Maccabi games in Budapest, Hungary, last summer. At Worcester, Groman won the team MVP award and was named to the AA NEPSAC All-Star First Team in 2018-19 and 2019-20 for the NEPSAC Class A champions. In 2016-17, she earned NEPSAC C All-Star and All-Conference honors at Berwick. She played her AAU basketball with the New England Crusaders, which has a long tradition of providing UNH with winning student-athletes. Alumnae of the Crusaders' program include Meg Connolly '07, Christina Hall '10, Jilliane Friel '12, Morgan Frame '13, Elizabeth Belanger '16, Kristin Anderson '17, Aliza Simpson '18 and Caroline Soucy '20.
What Coach Hogan says "Adara is a dynamic scorer. Her up-tempo style and high IQ make her an ideal fit for our system. She takes much pride on the defensive end as a lockdown defender with the tenacity and winning attitude that will align for an outstanding career at UNH."
Bella Stuart
Stuart is a 5-foot-11 guard from Clifton Park, N.Y., who was a member of back-to-back Section II Class AA state championship teams at Shenendehowa High School. In 2019-20, Stuart was named to the Section2Basketball.com AA All-Star Team, the All-Senior Team and received New York State Sportswriters Association (NYSSWA) All-State Honorable Mention. She won the team's Sixth Man award her junior season. As a member of the New York HAVOC AAU program, Stuart won the 2019 U.S. Junior National Championship Platinum Championship in Washington, D.C., and she was invited to compete in the 2020 Rose Classic All-Star Game.
What Coach Hogan says "Bella is a terrific shooter who truly can stroke it. She is a high-IQ guard with the talent to create her own shot opportunities, which makes her a tough matchup for opponents. Her skill and work ethic are a great match to the UNH culture and will make her a dynamic addition to our program."
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