LIVE BLOG: No. 5 LSU at No. 9 Alabama

Event Coverage, NCAA WAG
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After back-to-back defeats at the hands of SEC foes, No. 5 LSU heads to Tuscaloosa to take on a surging No. 9 Alabama team. Despite posting a season high score, LSU was just edged by Florida last week, losing its home win streak in the process. After posting only a 194 in its season opener, Alabama has rebounded by posting scores in the 196s the past two weeks, including last weekend at Georgia to sneak out a win over its biggest rival.

The return of McKenna Kelley to LSU’s lineups last weekend was huge for the Tigers, giving them another 10.0 vault and an anchor-worthy floor routine (not that Sarah Finnegan’s isn’t though). Vault is where I think LSU can easily add a few more tenths to its score by honing in on the landings and avoiding the one fall that seems to find its way into the lineup each week because the difficulty is there. Now it’s up to the Tigers to take advantage of that. Consistency on beam has also been a bit of a problem for LSU three meets in, so eliminating those few wobbly routines and 9.7s for the second week in a row will be a major key.

Speaking of beam consistency, figuring out beam has done wonders for the Crimson Tide. In its first two meets, beam was the biggest downfall—scoring in the 47s and 48s with all other events in the low 49s. But as beam got better so did the team total and the ability to actually win meets. Freshmen Emily Gaskins and Shallon Olsen have been big additions to this Crimson Tide team but haven’t been able to replicate the consistent 9.9-plus scores last year’s seniors Kiana Winston and Nickie Guerrero put up quite yet, preventing Alabama from breaking the 197 barrier.

In terms of the regular season SEC standings, Alabama currently sits at 1-0 and LSU at 0-2. If LSU wants any chance of repeating as regular season champions, it cannot afford to drop another meet with only limited chances left to collect wins and hope other teams falter.

You can watch along tonight on the SEC Network and we’ve got live scores too!

It’s the end of the Friday night gymnastics triple-header and what a crazy night it has been already! We’ve had the return of Carol and a shirtless John Roethlisberger in our first two meets, so Alabama and LSU are going to need more than free cheese fries to top those.

Now I’m hungry… for some gymnastics, obviously.

Rotation One: Alabama – Vault, LSU – Bars

SEC Network hopping over from Auburn/Georgia a little late so we missed a few routines.

Dean (LSU): nice Ray, toe on, good bail, jumps to high bar, short on final handstand, stuck double layout dismount

Armbrecht (Bama): FTY super clean just a tiny slide back

Graber in a boot… uh oh. Commentators make it sound precautionary.

Harrold (LSU): good Zuchold, jumps back to high, a little close on the jager, double front dismount small step forward

Mahoney (Bama): another clean FTY, small bit of piking, sizable hop back

Edney (LSU): giant hindorff, clear hip, slightly wonky bail, jumps to high bar, good final handstand, GREAT DLO dismount

Guerra (Bama): yurchenko half-on front half off just a small step on the landing, good chest on the landing, probably the best I’ve seen her do it!

Priessman (LSU): tkatchev to pak, a little close, good pirouette on low bar, good DLO small adjustment on the landing

Olsen (Bama): DTY! Stuck!!

Finnegan (LSU): great ray, toe on, bail, DLO stuck with a quick step but form was on point per usual

Unfortunately missed the first few routines, but what we did see was quality! Olsen’s DTY only went 9.900 which I think was a little conservative. Carol clearly didn’t make it up from Gainesville over the past hour and a half. Graber being out for Alabama will throw surely change up some lineups and make this quite a bit more challenging for them tonight. I’m glad we’ll get to see some different routines though!

After 1: LSU – 49.325, Alabama – 49.175

Rotation Two: LSU – Vault, Alabama – Bars

Finnegan (LSU): another perfect FTY. As she does week after week. Stuck cold.

Guerra (Bama): blind change, high jager, bail with small arch, DLO a little far and takes a step

Harrold (LSU): Y1.5 stuck! slight knees but much improved on the landing for her compared to the previous few weeks

Childers (Bama): toe on shaposh to bail, jumps to high bar, short on handstand, half-in double back out dismount stuck! Just that missed handstand and lots of form on the dismount

Cannamela (LSU): FTY. Stuck again! Clean in the air just had to pike for the landing

Givens (Bama): good first handstand, blind change to jager, caught super close, good bail, jumps to high bar, DLO dismount stuck. Not Graber quality but did a good job filling in

Kelley (LSU): front pike half. Comes in just a bit short so a small hop forward

Mahoney (Bama): great first handstand, toe on, bail with great handstand, beautiful tkatchev, half-in half-out dismount stuck. She has such beautiful lines and amazing handstands wow

Edney (LSU): Y1.5. Stuck! Small knee bend coming off the table but LSU is killing the landing game right now

Dickson (Bama): had to recast on the first kip, yikes, wonky bail and weird pirouette, I will never get tired of her tkatchev though, FTDT dismount just a small step back

Ferrer (LSU): yurchenko half-on front pike. good distance just a bit flat, had to tuck it at the end as well, lunge forward on the landing

Gaskins (Bama): shaposh to pak, tiny bit close, good pirouette, jumps to high bar and hits final handstand, DLO dismount and a hop back

LSU 49.400, Alabama 49.225

After 2: LSU – 98.725, Alabama – 98.400

LSU finally honed in on those vault landings and it paid off! This was its highest scoring vault rotation of the year, and there was still more to improve upon with Kelley and Ferrer’s vaults. Mahoney’s 9.950 on bars is what’s keeping Alabama in this after Dickson had some problems after Givens did too as a replacement for Graber.

Rotation Three: Alabama – Beam, LSU – Floor

Klopfer (Bama): mount choreo to a back roll, wolf turn slow but hit, front aerial to BHS solid, beat jump to split half, switch leap, cat leap to side aerial to stuck layout full dismount. great start if they want to keep this meet in reach

Harrold (LSU): opens with a front double full, good landing, double pike, another good landing, chest very high, good leap series, back 1.5 to front layout well controlled. Solid leadoff for LSU as well

Desch (Bama): cat leap to front aerial to beat jump, BHS LOSO beat jump, no wobbles, full turn with a squat to control, switch leap to split leap, RO 1.5 stuck dismount. Another routine another hit

Cannamela (LSU): opens with a double pike just opened a bit early so a step forward, RO 1.5 to front layout just a little low compared to Harrold’s but a good landing, switch side to straddle half, final pass double tuck, good landing just a small sqaut

Childers (Bama): swtich leap to sheep jump to beat jump, feet not close to head, BHS LOSO solid, beautiful full turn, front toss to scale done smoothly, RO 1.5 dismount stuck. The tide is rolling for Alabama on beam so far.

Desiderio (LSU): short on her opening double layout and was super close to knees down, front tuck through to double back and low again but a hit, clean through the leap series, double pike to end and her best pass and landing

Slow-mo replay shows the knees did not hit FYI.

Olsen (Bama): BHS LOSO super sturdy, switch leap to double stag, good full turn, front aerial, quite a pause before the BHS BHS double pike dismount. Love the difficulty! But definitely will get a deduction for that pause. Way over 2 seconds.

Edney (LSU): huge double arabian mount just a step forward but controlled, RO 1.5 to front layout nice and high, switch ring to tour jete half, good double tuck to close and bounce back for LSU on floor after Desiderio’s miss

Gaskins (Bama): back dive mount, as a former diver I approve, BHS LOSO super clean, full turn, split half from side position, switch leap to split jump, maybe a tad short of 180 on the switch leap, side aerial, gainer full dismount with the tiniest of slides. Extremely confident beam from Alabama right now!

Finnegan (LSU): RO 1.5 through to RO BHS 2.5 done well, double tuck super high but a shuffle back, switch ring to switch half, superb ring position, double pike dismount with all the control on the step

Giancroce (Bama): front aerial to beat jump, was a little off but pulled through well, BHS LOSO with a check to the side, full turn, switch leap just a little off, breaks connection to the beat jump to split 3/4, gainer full dismount with a slide back

Kelley (LSU): opens with a double layout, great landing, front layout to front full, another good landing, good leap series, dismounts with a double tuck and a step back. LSU will gladly take that score in place of Desiderio’s

Alabama 49.250, LSU 49.325

After 3: LSU – 148.050, Alabama – 147.650

So much for the tight beam scoring in Tuscaloosa. The judges must’ve gotten the memo that nobody else in the SEC was taking those pause deductions. Regardless, beam keeps getting better for Alabama every week. It would’ve been great to see Giancroce hit fully to see that total rise even a bit more but the Tide will be more than happy with that rotation. Despite the near fall, LSU did its job on floor and continued to widen the gap on Alabama.

Rotation Four: LSU – Beam, Alabama – Floor

Desiderio (LSU): front aerial to split jump, BHS LOSO just a small check, full turn, switch leap to switch half to beat jump, cat leap to gainer full, solid routine to leadoff

Desch (Bama): opens with a double pike, great chest position on the landing, RO 1.5 to front half to split jump to front tuck, switch ring to tour jete half, double tuck dismount with chest slightly down but that’s the routine Alabama need to start them off on floor

Dean (LSU): full turn, side aerial to BHS, switch leap to split jump to split 1/4. slight pause after the switch, side aerial to layout full. Big fan of that flight series

Mahoney (Bama): Double pike to open, good height, front full to front layout well controlled step forward, tour jete full to split full, closes with a double tuck, shuffles back and steps out of bounds

Durante (LSU): front aerial to beat jump to some nice choreo, BHS LOSO and some arm waves, switch leap to split 1/4, chest a little down to readjust, nice full turn, side aerial to layout full pretty piked at the end but stuck

Armbrecht (Bama): double pike to open, switch side to straddle full, RO 1.5 to front layout, Rudi to double stag to end, very elegant routine

Edney (LSU): front aerial to sissone, BHS LOSO beautiful, great control, switch leap to split 1/4 and drops her chest, good full turn, piked front toss that’s almost completely layout, RO 1.5 dismount, stuck as always

Childers (Bama): stepping in for Graber, front double full just some form in the air but great landing, RO 1.5 through to double full, same good landing and need for form, good controlled leaps, ends with a rudi to double stag and the home crowd is loving it. See did her job tonight stepping in for Graber

Campbell (LSU): BHS LOSO, maybe the tiniest of tiny leans to the side, full turn, front aerial to sissone, good position in the leap, switch leap to switch half, did not get that half around but plays it off, RO double full dismount and hops into another quarter twist/salute thing

Guerra (Bama): opens with a double layout, chest quite low on the landing, switch side to straddle half done well, RO 1.5 to front layout, much better landing, perfectly stuck double pike to finish

Finnegan (LSU): good wolf turn, BHS LOSO just a wobble to the side, switch leap to switch half, side somi, side aerial to layout full just a small slide with one foot but it’s more than enough to seal the deal for LSU

Olsen (Bama): piked full-in super high and great landing, front tuck through to a double tuck stuck, good leaps, ends with a double pike and another good landing. I’m going to need her to throw her double double before the end of the year because this routine is too easy for her

LSU 49.400, Alabama 49.200

Not gonna lie, I think the beam judging for LSU was a bit more lenient than it was for Alabama. LSU’s routines with obvious wobbles were scoring the same/higher than Alabama’s without, but I’m not the judge so it’s not my call! That’s not to take away from LSU’s performance here tonight though! The Tigers were obviously ready to right the ship after their back-to-back losses and showed it tonight!

Final: LSU – 197.450, Alabama 196.850

LSU has finally picked up its first SEC win and handed Alabama its first loss. Alabama should be happy with its score though, as it’s the Tide’s highest home score so far this year after opening rough. They also did it tonight without Graber, one of the major all arounders for them. LSU was more consistent on beam and finally annihilated those vault landings, and it showed by finally being able to take the win. If Edney continues to compliment Finnegan the way she did tonight, LSU will be capable of big things later on this season. With both LSU and Alabama with losses now in SEC meets, I’m very interested to see if anybody will be able to knock off Florida and possibly let Alabama or LSU back into the conversation.

Check out the Twitter Moment for more visuals and additional commentary of tonight’s matchup.

Live Blog by Brandis Heffner

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