The No. 2 LSU gymnastics team is set to face the sworn enemy of all Tigers in its fifth-consecutive top-10 showdown.
LSU (9-1, 6-0 Southeastern Conference) takes on No. 5 Alabama at 8:00 p.m. tonight at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
The last time Alabama (6-1, 4-1 SEC) hosted a top-two opponent, it upset then-No. 1 Florida 197.400-196.800 on Jan. 23. The victory kickstarted a streak in which the Crimson Tide scored more than 197 in four of five meets, including a season-high 197.800 against Boise State on Feb. 13.
But an Alabama opponent hasn’t scored more than 197 all season, a mark LSU surpassed six times through seven meets. Despite LSU’s barrage of high scores, LSU gymnastics coach D-D Breaux said her gymnasts can improve on several areas, particularly on vault.
“We saw six vaults Friday night and only one was a true, really good stick,” Breaux said. “Which means of the five scores that counted, I’ve got four spots where I can possibly get another half-tenth or a full tenth.
That’s critical.”
“We turned the corner about halfway through the season [last year], so we’re looking forward to going against a really good, strong Alabama team putting some pressure on us and making us hit those landings.”
LSU enters the meet as a clear favorite with the statistical advantage in three of the four events. Vault is the only event Alabama enters with the advantage, ranking No. 5 in the RQS rankings. LSU is right behind the Tide at No. 6.
The Tigers haven’t played down to their competition this season, and they don’t plan to start now with an unblemished regular-season SEC record on the line.
“To win the regular season would be huge,” Breaux said. “Going undefeated in this conference all season long says a lot for this team. We would love to do that. Winning is the bottom line.”
LSU has more on the line than an undefeated conference record. With a victory, the Tigers secure bragging rights for the next year against a school everyone is familiar with.
“I see the drive in everybody; how much they want to prove their worth to LSU and how committed they are to the university,” said junior all-arounder Jessica Savona. “Everybody wants to beat Bama, and I do as well. It’s greater than beating, it’s being superior.”
The key to victory is bringing the energy the team had in its 197.950-197.425 victory against Florida last Friday night, said sophomore all-arounder Ashleigh Gnat.
Alabama will have plenty of energy of its own. The Rolling Tide averaged the second-largest attendance in the NCAA in 2014 at 12,825. LSU nearly eclipsed Alabama’s average crowd size last weekend with a historical 12,217 fans. Breaux told her gymnasts to pretend Alabama’s crowd is the same one cheering for them at the PMAC.
“We’re going to have to feed off of [their crowd] a lot,” Breaux said. “Not only do they have a big crowd, but whatever crowd we have, they put them up in a section of the bleachers that don’t even face the floor. It’s going to be great environment.”
“If you can’t get motivated to go to Alabama and compete, then you’re unmotivationable.”
You can reach Jacob Hamilton on Twitter @jhamilton_TDR.