WINFIELD, Kan. — The Southwestern College women's basketball team opened the 2026-27 season in dominant fashion Monday evening, defeating Manhattan Christian College 71-35 inside historic Stewart Fieldhouse. The victory marked head coach Josh Burt's first home win at Stewart Fieldhouse as the Moundbuilders improved to 1-0 on the season.
After a competitive opening quarter, Southwestern took control of the contest with an impressive defensive performance, holding Manhattan Christian scoreless throughout the second quarter. The Moundbuilders outscored the Thunder 17-0 in the period to take a commanding 33-15 lead into halftime.
One of the biggest highlights of the evening came from the return of Perla Hernandez, who missed the entire 2025-26 season after battling a severe illness. Hernandez made an immediate impact in her return to the court, finishing with nine points, 11 rebounds and a game-high six assists in just 24 minutes of action. Her performance helped set the tone for Southwestern on both ends of the floor, as she also collected five offensive rebounds and a steal.
Ashton Burgener led the Moundbuilders offensively with 15 points and six rebounds, shooting 7 of 9 from the free-throw line. Toni Hodges-Tipton provided a strong presence off the bench, recording Southwestern's lone double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, including five offensive boards.
Several newcomers also made their presence felt in the season-opening victory. Jayden Wells finished with 10 points and nine rebounds, knocking down three shots from beyond the arc. Isabella Small provided an offensive spark off the bench, scoring six points on two 3-pointers while collecting four rebounds. Breanna Goad added eight points and three assists, connecting on two shots from long range.
The Moundbuilders continued their offensive success after halftime, producing their highest-scoring quarter of the contest with 26 points in the third. Southwestern shot 50% from the field and connected on six 3-pointers during the period, extending its advantage to 59-27 entering the fourth quarter.
Southwestern's dominance on the glass proved to be another deciding factor, as the Moundbuilders outrebounded Manhattan Christian 64-34. Southwestern also collected 25 offensive rebounds, resulting in 26 second-chance points, while its bench contributed 25 points.
Manhattan Christian struggled offensively throughout the evening, shooting just 21.2% from the field. Elayna Wegner led the Thunder with 13 points and eight rebounds, while Chantyl Perry and Nekayla Williams each finished with 10 points.
The Thunder also struggled from the free-throw line, particularly during the opening half, converting just two of 10 attempts for 20%. The struggles came as the Southwestern women's basketball program introduced its new "Miss Twice and Win A Slice" campaign, which brought additional excitement and loud crowd noise to Stewart Fieldhouse as fans cheered for consecutive missed free throws by the opposition. Manhattan Christian finished the evening shooting just 40% from the charity stripe.
The Moundbuilders maintained their advantage throughout the final quarter, holding the Thunder to eight points while securing the 36-point victory to open the new campaign.
Southwestern will return to action Thursday, Oct. 29, when the Moundbuilders host Cottey College inside Stewart Fieldhouse. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m.
