WINFIELD, Kan. — The Southwestern College women's basketball team continued its strong start to the 2026-27 season Thursday evening, defeating Cottey College 66-56 in a nonconference matchup inside historic Stewart Fieldhouse. The victory improved the Moundbuilders to 2-0, while the Comets fell to 0-3.
Southwestern overcame an early deficit with strong perimeter shooting and a balanced offensive effort, placing three players in double figures to secure its second consecutive home victory under head coach Josh Burt.
Cottey jumped out to an early 8-0 advantage before Southwestern responded with a 16-6 run to close the opening quarter, taking a 16-14 lead into the second period.
The Moundbuilders carried that momentum into the second quarter, shooting 75% from the field and connecting on four of six attempts from beyond the arc. Southwestern outscored Cottey 19-13 in the period to take a 35-27 advantage into halftime.
The Comets battled back in the third quarter, outscoring Southwestern 16-12 and cutting the deficit to just one point with 2:30 remaining. However, a timely basket from Toni Hodges-Tipton and a 3-pointer from Perla Hernandez helped the Builders maintain a 47-43 lead entering the final quarter.
Southwestern took control in the fourth, using a 17-4 run to extend its advantage to 64-47 with 2:41 remaining. The Moundbuilders eventually pushed their lead to a game-high 16 points before securing the 10-point victory.
Ashton Burgener led Southwestern with 11 points, five rebounds and five assists. Breanna Goad added 10 points, including two 3-pointers, while Hodges-Tipton contributed 10 points and a team-high six rebounds off the bench.
Hernandez finished with nine points, five rebounds and four assists, while Jayden Wells added eight points, connecting on two 3-pointers. Isabella Small provided six points off the bench.
The Moundbuilders shot 49% from the field and 42.9% from beyond the arc, connecting on nine of 21 attempts. Southwestern also recorded 15 assists on 24 made field goals and held a 36-34 rebounding advantage.
Defensively, Southwestern limited Cottey to 36.8% shooting from the field and just 23.1% from 3-point range. The Builders forced 20 turnovers, converting those opportunities into 16 points.
Cottey was led by Akyria James, who finished with a game-high 16 points and five rebounds.
Southwestern will return to action Wednesday, Nov. 4, when the Moundbuilders host Hesston College in another nonconference matchup. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. inside historic Stewart Fieldhouse.
