SHENANDOAH -- For the Harlan Community girls basketball team, things can only go up from here. Hitting the 30-turnover mark for the second time in as many games, the Cyclones were handed a 77-48 defeat at Shenandoah Friday night in the Hawkeye Ten Conference opener for both teams. The 11th-rated (3-A) Fillies (4-0), who did not graduate a senior off last year’s 15-9 squad, beat the Cyclone girls for the first time since the 2002-03 season. HC

 TREYNOR -- With their top returning scorer held to just four shot attempts on the night, the IKM-Manning girls struggled for offense in Friday’s 49-34 Western Iowa Conference loss at Treynor. IKM-M junior guard Kia Rasmussen, who averaged 17.7 points per game a year ago, was limited to just five on Friday, hitting a second-quarter three-pointer and scoring off her own steal in the fourth.

 OAKLAND -- The AHSTW boys and girls basketball teams swept a varsity doubleheader at Riverside on Friday night in Western Iowa Conference action. The Viking boys (2-0) won 78-26, getting 14 points from Jake Martin and 13 from R.J. Harris, who also grabbed 10 rebounds. The Lady Vikes improved to 1-2 overall (1-0 WIC) earlier in the night with a 49-29 victory. 

 PELLA -- Former Atlantic standout Sam Markham was recently named first-team All-Iowa Conference following a record-breaking season for the Central College football team.

TREYNOR -- Opening the season with a young and inexperienced varsity roster, the Harlan Community girls basketball team didn’t just stick their toe in the shallow end of the pool Tuesday night.

 ELK HORN -- The three-point shooting numbers told the story in Tuesday night’s Rolling Valley Conference basketball opener between Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton and Paton-Churdan. Exira-EHK sophomore Josh Pettepier knocked down eight straight treys in the first half alone and finished 10-of-11 from behind the arc.

 AVOCA -- The AHSTW boys basketball team finished just one point shy of the century mark in Tuesday night’s season opener vs. Woodbine, pounding the Tigers 99-20 in non-conference action. The Vikings, who shot 52.6 percent from the field while also grabbing 27 offensive rebounds, led 27-9 after one quarter before extending the margin to 58-14 at the half and 87-18 after three.

 AVOCA -- The AHSTW girls basketball team dropped to 0-2 in non-conference play Monday night, losing a 52-38 home game against CAM, Anita. The Lady Vikes fell behind 30-22 at halftime and were unable to mount a second-half rally. They will open Western Iowa Conference play Friday night at Riverside.

 ELK HORN -- Thirteen Spartan players cracked the scoring column Tuesday night as the Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton girls basketball team opened the season with an 81-18 rout of Paton-Churdan. Ranked third in Class 1-A by the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union, Exira-EHK was led by Sophia Peppers’ 17 points and 15 apiece from Mara Burmeister and Kealey Nelson.