Halfway through a top-5 struggle with No. 2 Oklahoma, LSU coach D-D Breaux pulled her team aside and delivered a message — “unleash the beast.”
The No. 3 Tigers (5-1, 3-1 Southeastern Conference) responded with a sensational performance on floor exercise to snatch away the lead. LSU went on to tie its season-high score as it upended the Sooners (3-2, 1-0 Big 12), 197.650-197.325, Sunday afternoon in Norman, Okla.
“The win was fabulous, but the performance and the tenacious competitive spirit of this team was wonderful,” Breaux said.
LSU came into Sunday’s meet less than 48 hours after defeating No. 11 Arkansas 197.225-196.275, while the Sooners were nine days removed from a .650-point loss at No. 1 Florida.
Oklahoma started the meet with a season-high 49.525 on vault, sparked by four routines that earned a 9.900 or higher.
Though junior Britney Ranzy tied her career-high with a 9.875 on bars, LSU was on the brink of disaster when junior Rheagan Courville almost fell after over-extending on the low bar and received a 9.450. But senior Sarie Morrison salvaged the event with a 9.925, and LSU scored a 49.225 to trail by three-tenths of a point after one rotation.
During the second rotation, the Tigers turned in the third-highest vault score in program history with a 49.600, as Ranzy and junior Jessie Jordan tied career-highs, each scoring a 9.925. Morrison’s 9.975 won the event title and bolstered LSU’s score, but the Sooners posted a 49.475 on bars to lead 99.000-98.825 halfway through the meet.
“You have to put yourself in a position to win, and we kept competing,” Breaux said. “We didn’t have a great first event. We had a deficit going into vault, and we vaulted the best we’ve done all season long.”
But Oklahoma scored a 48.800 on beam in the third rotation after two Sooners fell, opening the door for the Tigers to claim momentum.
LSU did just that, tallying its third-highest floor score of the season with a 49.500. Courville bounced back with a 9.925, and junior Lloimincia Hall anchored with a 9.950 to give the Tigers a 148.325-147.800 lead heading into the final rotation.
LSU was in danger when sophomore Jessica Savona nearly fell during her dismount and posted a 9.400 in the second spot on beam, but the Tigers strung together enough solid routines to complete the victory. Freshman Ashleigh Gnat highlighted the event with a career-high 9.900, and Jordan’s 9.875 in the anchor spot punctuated LSU’s win.
“I knew something had happened just by looking at the score, but I’ve been working really hard to anchor beam and do my part,” Jordan said. “Whenever something happens, I’m there to pick it back up. I brought in the win, so I’m happy with my performance.”
Jordan won her second all-around title of the season with a 39.525, and the Tigers recorded nine scores of 9.900 or higher. Breaux said the two-meet weekend was an effective measurement of how LSU would handle the back-to-back days of competition at the national championship.
“A weekend like this has definitely prepared our kids in a positive manner,” Breaux said. “There’s no obstacle now that they think is too much for them to tackle to the ground.”