Huber Signs With Lions

— Justyne Huber is expanding her world.

The Prairie Grove 6-foot senior forward signed a letter of intent Friday to play women’s college basketball for the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith. She was surrounded by family, friends and the student body in the school cafeteria.

Huber, who is accustomed to being challenged in practice by Prairie Grove coach Kevin Froud, said she didn’t want to go far away from home and likes the Lions’ coaching staff.

“They seem like they push the girls harder,” Huber said.

Last season, Huber led the Lady Tigers to a 28-2 record with an undefeated conference mark of 14-0 and the district and regional titles. Huber averaged 17.8 points with 78 percent free-throw shooting and 33 percent from behind the 3-point line.

“It’s all her hard work. I just reap the benefits,” Froud said. “The main thing is she’s having her education paid for. The door is wide open for her choices and what she wants to do with the rest of her life. A lot of it has to do with her basketball skills.”

Huber’s father, Matt Huber, said the Fort Smith campus is really nice and longtime Lions coach Louis Wharton made his daughter feel at home.

The Lady Lions are members of the Heartland Conference. The program has experienced success, winning a National Junior College Athletic Association championship in 1994-95 before moving to NCAA Division II competition in 2009. According to its website, the school had an enrollment of 7,587 in 2010.

“After 10 years of traveling and playing summer ball, it’s a sigh of relief to know it’s all being taken care of,” Matt Huber said.

Both Froud and Matt Huber expect Justyne to play more relaxed and effectively now that the pressure of deciding where she’s going to college has been lifted.

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