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LSU junior Ashleigh Clare-Kearney has said all season the No. 8 Tigers love to perform in front of rowdy visiting crowds.
Clare-Kearney’s theory proved true Friday night in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
In front of a near capacity crowd of 10,113 at Coleman Coliseum, the Tigers posted its second-highest score of the season in a 197.250-196.875 loss against the No. 4 University of Alabama.
Clare-Kearney led LSU with a 39.500 all-around score. Seniors Kelly Phelan and Nicki Butler also scored well for the Tigers with 39.425 and 39.400, respectively.
LSU coach D-D Breaux said she was proud of the way the Tigers’ trio performed on such a big stage.
“You can’t ask those three to do any more than they did tonight,” Breaux said. “They gave it everything they had.”
LSU started the first turn on the uneven bars, scoring a season-high 49.175, but the Tigers still trailed 49.450-49.175 because of a strong Crimson Tide performance on vault.
Butler and freshman Summer Hubbard led LSU with 9.850 on bars, but every Tiger scored at least 9.800.
LSU scored a season-high 49.425 on vault thanks to five scores above 9.800.
Clare-Kearney strengthened her resume as the nation’s best vault performer, scoring 9.950 to win the event and allow LSU to pull into a 98.600 tie with the Tide.
Butler tied her season-high on the event with a 9.925, and Phelan also performed well with a 9.875.
Sophomore Amanda Morales and freshman Kayla Rogers each posted career highs on the event with respective scores of 9.850 and 9.825.
LSU took a slim lead after the third turn thanks to a season-high 49.425 on floor. Sophomore Lauren Klein scored a 9.925 to lead LSU.
Freshman Susan Jackson led off the event well for the Tigers with a career-high 9.900.
Alabama also performed well on the third turn, posting a 49.275 on beam.
Freshman Ricki Lebegern won the event for the Crimson Tide with a 9.900.
The Tigers were not so lucky on beam in the fourth turn, losing their lead and ultimately the meet with a 48.850 score compared to Alabama’s 49.375 score on floor.
Clare-Kearney, Butler and Phelan each scored well on beam for LSU, but the Tigers were not able to keep up with the Crimson Tide, having to count two scores below 9.700, sealing the win for Alabama.
“I’m just pleased that we are moving forward in a lot of different areas,” said Alabama coach Sarah Patterson in a news release. “It’s exciting to see us do so well and be able to win and know there were a lot of different areas that we can be better on.”
LSU has now competed against nationally-ranked opponents six straight weeks, and Breaux said she is happy with how the Tigers performed against Alabama.
“I am very pleased and very proud,” Breaux said. “It wasn’t our best meet of the season, but it was good.”
—–Contact Casey Gisclair at [email protected]