Whether it was a win or a loss for the Bayou Bengals, the Pete Maravich Assembly Center was the place to be this Friday night as the No. 2 LSU Tigers aimed to protect its crown from the No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners.
Conversely, Oklahoma gathered in the arena with hopes to protect its No. 1 spot from LSU.
“Tonight was about us taking the next step and getting everything to gel and getting better as a team,” Tigers head coach Jay Clark said.
The freshmen led the first rotation with the highest scores, as Kaliya Lincoln and all-around Kailin Chio each landed a 9.950 on vault. In the event, Haleigh Bryant closed with a stick for LSU’s third 9.950.
Oklahoma’s best on bars came from Lily Pederson scoring a 9.925.
Lincoln topped her personal best on vault with a 9.950 tonight, her highest score on the event being a 9.925 in Tigers win against Missouri.
LSU led the first rotation by 0.175 with a 49.600 against Oklahoma’s 49.425.
The battle was on, with Faith Torrez vaulting just short of perfection for a 9.975 for the Sooners in the second rotation.
“Oklahoma has been the gold standard,” Clark said. “They deserve a lot of credit for the consistency that they have performed.”
Chio stepped up to bars and earned herself a 9.900 for the Tigers’ highest score of the event. To the crowd’s displeasure, Konnor McClain anchored to mark the halfway point but received a 9.800.
While Bryant opted out of the all-around and is yet to rejoin the LSU bars lineup, the Tigers finished the second rotation with a 49.250 and the Sooners with a 49.425, a 0.175 difference between the two.
As the two leading teams in the country lined up for the second half of the meet, they found themselves tied, each with a 98.850.
The best team in the nation would be determined on beam and floor.
Sierra Ballard kick-started on the balance beam with a dismount that sent fans to their feet in awe.
With such a large crowd for the night, Tiger fans made their territory known with boos and cries of protest as Oklahoma’s Audrey Davis countered with a 9.900 on floor and kept the competition tight as the rotation progressed.
Chio returned for more in her third-night event with a performance on beam worthy of a 9.925. As her hot streak continued, she was on track to claim a third-consecutive all-around title.
Resident beam anchor Finnegan had an uncharacteristic run for a score of 9.700. Oklahoma finished on floor with back-to-back 9.950s to give them the edge as the final rotation began.
Less than a tenth separated the two as Lincoln stepped onto the mat as LSU’s leadoff for the first time this season, scoring a 9.925.
“We wanted to see how it looked, and I think it was a great decision because she is just so even-keeled,” Clark said. “She just went out there and executed something beautiful to get us started.”
Chio took her turn to complete the all-around with a score of 9.950 on floor, and Amari Drayton posted an identical score after her routine.
Finnegan earned the event’s lowest score with a 9.800, but Bryant managed to seal the deal on the floor against Oklahoma with a 9.950, finishing the third rotation with a 49.700.
“We finally put together a fairly complete floor rotation together, so we’re looking more like ourselves,” Clark said. “It was certainly a great night for our fans and for our team.”
With 13,386 fans in attendance tonight, LSU brought home a win in this one-to-two matchup, protecting its crown and claiming the No. 1 spot in the country from the Sooners in a 198.050 – 197.675 win.
