Spartan girls roll by Riverside

 ELK HORN (Feb. 13) -- Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton cruised through its opening test of Class 1A girls basketball regionals Tuesday night, building a 48-12 halftime lead and finishing off Riverside 77-23 in a quarterfinal game at Elk Horn.
 Three players finished in double figures for the 7th-ranked Spartans, who improved to 21-1 on the year and moved within two wins of their fourth consecutive state tournament appearance.
 Spartan senior Sophia Peppers hit three treys in Tuesday’s game and led the team with 22 points, 14 rebounds (9 offensive), four assists and five steals. Kealey Nelson added 19 points and nine boards while Leslie Caniglia had 12 points and five boards.