The highly anticipated matchup is here!
No. 1 Oklahoma heads to Baton Rouge to face No. 2 LSU in a meet we’ve been excited for since last April. Both teams will be looking to make a statement in what could be a preview of the postseason.
Oklahoma has been consistently scoring 197+ but has yet to hit a 198 or score a perfect 10. Despite some beam wobbles last week, the Sooners remain strong, led by five all-arounders and the return of veteran Dani Sievers. Expect them to be locked in for this challenge.
LSU returns home after a tight road win over Alabama. The Tigers have performed their best at home, scoring over 198 once, but still seeking their first perfect 10. With home energy on their side, they’ll be pushing for another big score.
This Friday night clash is sure to be a thrilling, high-pressure showdown that could come down to the final routine!
Rotation 1: VT LSU, UB OU
Chase Brock looks to have suffered a lower leg injury during warmups and is out on the floor with the team but with a boot and crutches.
Johnson (LSU): Starting off strong in this huge matchup, a STUCK Yurchenko full. What a way to get this started!! 9.875.
Sievers (OU): First up for the Sooners, Maloney to the high bar down to Pak, nails the last handstand and DRILLS the full in dismount to a stick! 9.850.
Finnegan (LSU): Yurchenko 1.5 with a little cross over step on the landing. 9.875.
Fatta (OU): HUGE Church to a big Pak, just a small scoot back on the double layout dismount. 9.875.
Lincoln (LSU): Yurchenko 1.5 STUCK. Wow. Huge amplitude, literally walks into that vault. 9.950!
Pederson (OU): Little waver on the first handstand, but saves it to a Maloney to Pak, really nice. Nails the last handstand and fights for that stick on the double layout! 9.925.
Drayton (LSU): Another huge Yurchenko 1.5, just a little hop / scoot back on that. 9.875.
Torrez (OU): HUGE Ray to start and a nice Pak down, little legs on that. Sticks the double layout dismount to end! 9.850.
Chio (LSU): Another Yurchenko 1.5, small hop forward but a huge vault in the fifth spot! 9.950.
Davis (OU): Up to the high bar, right to Eagle grip to the biggest piked Jaeger and holds the handstand, gorgeous Pak down. Holds the last handstand, Eagle grip to double front half out with just a step on that landing. 9.875
Bryant (LSU): Front handspring Pike 1/2 STUCK!!!! 9.950!
Bowers (OU): Huge Jaeger to Pak, really nice. Up to the high bar for a full in dismount with a step back.
After 1: LSU 49.600, OU 49.425
Happy Valentine’s Day!! The best gift today with this match up. LSU ties a national season high with a HUGE 49.600, with three 9.950s in this frist rotation, bookended by two stuck landings from Johnson in the first and Bryant anchoring. Just what the Tigers needed to get this momentum heading into the rest of the night! Oklahoma is trailing by just under two tenths, but coming off one of its best events, maybe not the start they expected or wanted. Still, a huge rotation for the Sooners at a 49.425 heading into vault, as they will look to close the gap early on.
Rotation 2: VT OU, UB LSU
Pederson (OU): Yurchenko 1.5 just a step forward on that, really great lead off vault for the Sooners! 9.850.
Zeiss (LSU): Maloney to Pak, nice connection. Dismounts with a HUGE and stuck full in dismount! 9.875.
Torrez (OU): Yurchenko 1.5, maybe the smallest hop (?) but wow a beautiful vault! 9.975! I’m going to say no hop on that from the score
Cowan (LSU): HUGE Ray to shoot over, always gorgeous and dismounts double layout with a step forward on that. 9.825.
Fatta (OU): Yurchenko 1.5, big step back and under rotates that vault. 9.750.
Jeffrey (LSU): Really nice Maloney to shoot over, almost goes over on that handstand and drops it in from the literal sky a stuck full in dismount! 9.800.
Wells (OU): Really nice Yurchenko 1.5 just a hop forward on that! 9.875.
Chio (LSU): Maloney to shootover, nice, gorgeous Khorkina on the high bar and gets it back on track with a stuck full in dismount! 9.900.
Bowers (OU): Yurchenko 1.5 just a step forward but really nice distance on that vault! 9.875
Finnegan (LSU): Piked Delchev so nice to start, shootover nice. Dismounts with a full in and just a step back on that landing! 9.850
Mueller (OU): Lineup change in for Audrey Davis- Yurchenko 1.5 just a step forward! 9.850.
McClain (LSU): HUGE Piked Tkatchev, Pak, really nice and dismounts with a full in and a step on the landing. 9.800
After 2: LSU 98.850, OU 98.850
Tied at the half! This is exactly what was expected coming in in terms of scores. For both teams, they are both looking to settle in going into these last two rotations, as they have each had just a handful of stuck landings across two events. Possible nerves from both teams knowing the stakes of a no.1 and no.2 matchup, but nonetheless, looking to get back some extra tenths as they move through the night! Not to be forgotten though, beautiful routines across the board, highlighted by a 9.975 vault from Faith Torrez and a huge routine from Chio on bars coming in at a 9.900!
Rotation 3: BB LSU, FX OU
Ballard (LSU): BHS LOSO, really nice. Sissone to switch half, really good. Gorgeous front toss. Round off double full, just a little chest down on the landing but no movement on that! 9.950 in the leadoff! Career high for her!
Davis (OU): Front double full right into choreo done so well. Switch 1/2 to nice jumps to the clap sissone. Back 1.5 to front layout, perfect. 9.900
Coen (LSU): Front aerial to beat jump, really nice. BHS LOSO, solid. Switch leap to split, a little under 180 on both splits, but nicely connected. Dismounts with a round off double full STUCK! 9.875.
Fatta (OU): Front double full to stag jump really nice. Front thru to 2.5 stumbles on the landing a bit but keeps it up and crosses over on that step. Switch leap to switch side to straddle full to end. Nice routine just a little slip up on that second pass. 9.825.
Chio (LSU): Round off BHS mount, perfect. BHS LOSO so good. Switch leap to split jump, great extension on that. Front aerial to split jump, nice. BHS 1.5 STUCK! 9.925!
Pederson (OU): Back 1.5 to 2.5 a little over rotated but keeps it in. Front double full, barely keeps it in by her toes but saves it! Switch side to straddle full to end, nice routine! 9.875.
McClain (LSU): Switch leap to switch half to split jump, really nice. Front aerial to BHS, little adjustment on the BHS. Wolf jump, love. Gainer full, STUCK off the side! 9.925.
Mueller (OU): Front through to double tuck, a little squatty on the landing. Front layout to front rudi, much better Torjete full to jumps, gets both all the way around to her ending dance. 9.900.
Bryant (LSU): Front aerial to BHS, really nice. Switch leap to straddle 1/4, really good. Standing front tuck, a little off but pulls it right back. Dismounts front rudi, STUCK ! 9.825.
Bowers (OU): Front double twist to punch front gorgeous. Second pass a huge double pike, a little slide in the front foot, but wow. Switch leap to switch half to wolf full to end! Love the ending. 9.950
Finnegan (LSU): Anchoring an already huge lineup, BHS LOSO LOSO lifts her foot to save it but keeps it on. Switch leap to split jump, really nice. Front aerial, really nice. Gainer full STUCK! 9.700.
Torrez (OU): HUGE double layout perfect. Torjete half to wolf full, really good. Ends with a front through to double tuck, really nice! 9.950!
After 3: LSU 148.350, OU 148.425
This meet is as much back and forth as you could imagine! LSU looked like they might have a lead from the first few routines of the event, and even with a 49.500 on beam, the Tigers are now behind the Sooners by less than a tenth going into floor. Starting off with a career high, Ballard put up a huge 9.95, but with some uncharacteristic mistakes from Bryant and Finnegan, LSU will have some work to do on floor. The Sooners ended the rotation with a pair of 9.950s from Bowers and Torrez in the five and six spots, and as they go into the final rotation will be looking to hold onto the lead!
Rotation 4: BB OU, FX LSU
Davis (OU): BHS LOSO, looked a little off on that but keeps it on. Front aerial to needle kick to choreo, really nice. Split ring jump, perfection. Dismounts double full drops her chest and has to take a step forward. 9.825.
Lincoln (LSU): First time for her!! The biggest double layout I’ve ever seen. Switch leap to Torjete full, nice. Front layout to front full to end. What a first floor routine for her! 9.925!
Wells (OU): Switch leg aerial, such a unique skill done so well. Switch leap switch leap, drops her chest almost off. BHS LOSO, done well. Stuck 1.5 to end! 9.575.
Ballard (LSU): Another huge double layout, perfect. Switch half to sissone, good. Second pass a back 1.5 to front layout, nice landing. Switch ring to switch half down to choreo to end. Another 9.925!
Fatta (OU): Starts off with a BHS LOSO, really nice. Side aerial, really good. Switch half, nice. Switch leap to split jump, a little shoulder dip but nothing major. BHS Gainer full off the side STUCK! 9.900.
Chio (LSU): Starts off with a huge open full in. Switch ring to Torjete half, nice rotation. Perfect 2.5 to front tuck to end! 9.950.
Bowers (OU): BHS swing down, LOVE. That always catches me off guard. BHS LOSO, perfect. Split leap to switch half, really nice. Dismounts round off double full and a small step forward on that. Otherwise a gorgeous routine in the fourth spot! 9.850.
Drayton (LSU): Double layout, wow. Switch ring to switch half such nice extension. Second pass a front through to double tuck with a great controlled landing to end! 9.950.
Pederson (OU): BHS LOSO really nice. Switch half, little bobble. Side sumi, nice. Round off double full, chest down with a step forward to end. 9.775.
Finnegan (LSU): A huge double Arabian to stag jump, perfect. Switch ring to Torjete half, really nice. 2.5 to punch front and is out of bounds on that, but a beautiful routine overall! 9.800.
Torrez (OU): Wolf jump to start off. Side aerial to LOSO, perfect. Switch leap to straddle jump, really well done. BHS Gainer full and takes a small step on that dismount. 9.900.
Bryant (LSU): Front double tuck, so nice. Front layout to front rudi to end a huge rotation and a BIG meet for the Tigers at home! 9.950.
FINAL:
This was as back and forth as expected coming in! After being tied at the second, this was anyone’s meet. LSU and Oklahoma both had great routines in the last two rotations, but LSU ran away with it with five huge scores over a 9.925 and a 49.700 in the final rotation. Oklahoma, especially in the last rotation, was lacking in its usual precision on stuck landings, even if the routines on the equipment were outstanding. So much good to take away from this competition for both teams, and always minor things to dial in on for both teams as they head into the middle of season, looking to get more consistent in these bigger scores every week out. For LSU to come away with the win should give them a big confidence boost, but they will meet the Sooners again later in the season which undoubtedly will be just as exciting!
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Live Blog by Julianna Roland
