#9 AU vs #2 LSU

[SCTiger2011 1,277]

Ladies fall tonight by the slimmest of margins 197.35-197.3. Auburn sets a record for its all-time team score tonight!

[slot canyon 1,328]

I watched on Watch ESPN. Looked like a nice crowd. Good to see the progress being made by the gymnastics team. Also, as a spectator sport there is a lot of action going on throughout. Appears it would be a good family outing since the meet is not too long and there is constant action.

[AU64 10,122]

I watched on Watch ESPN. Looked like a nice crowd. Good to see the progress being made by the gymnastics team. Also, as a spectator sport there is a lot of action going on throughout. Appears it would be a good family outing since the meet is not too long and there is constant action.

I watched some of the highlights and frankly, the scoring baffles me....far too subjective for the average person to understand....all the AU performers did great and I saw some who were rated lower than the LSU performer and yet their key elements and dismount looked as good or better but received a slightly lower score....and scores to the second decimal point... :-\

The folks who complain about a SEC football and basketball officiating would go nuts trying to figure out what's going on here.

BUT....really happy for this program.....good students, no problems and they are great representatives of the school.

[augolf1716 21,096]

So close to a win

By Ethan Brady

AUBURN, Ala. - No. 9 Auburn Gymnastics broke its all-time team score but was edged by No. 2 LSU 197.350-197.300 on Friday in Auburn Arena. Auburn's team score broke its previous high of 197.175 against LSU in 2013 and raises its 2015 season average to 196.270.

"The atmosphere was fantastic," head coach Jeff Graba said of the crowd of 6,688. "It was electric out there. I think the girls drew a lot of energy from the crowd, and it showed in our performance. We talked in the locker room before we came out about embracing the energy and you get hyped up for the number two team, you get hyped up for the crowd. I feel like we're really clicking at this point."

Auburn tied its all-time team vault score with a 49.500 led by MJ Rott and Lexus Demers' 9.950. For the third straight week, Demers broke her career-high, earning the event title with Rott. The overall vault score was the highest since Auburn faced Denver in 2008.

"I thought we ended a tremendous vault sequence with a really good vault," Graba said. "It was unbelievable to watch. I was at a loss of words for our team meeting after. I didn't have a lot to say and they laughed at me a little bit. It was a lot of fun to watch."

Auburn finished the meet on floor with a season-high team score of 49.325 led by a 9.900 by Rott. Rott said she was inspired by tonight's Flip For the Cure promotions benefitting breast cancer awareness.

"I did this for my grandmas," Rott said. "My great-grandmother and grandmother died of breast cancer, and I just told myself I was doing it for them. Nothing else could stop me, and I just let it go. It was just fun competing out there, and the score showed."

In the second rotation, Auburn scored 49.200 on bars led by a 9.875 from Caitlin Atkinson. On beam, Megan Walker led Auburn with a career-high tying 9.925. The score gave Walker her fourth event title of the season.

"This crowd helped us, and the girls embraced the energy," Graba said. "We've learned these past few weeks how to compete at a high level. Talking to the LSU coaches, we both said you have to have these types of meets to see how your girls react. I got what I expected out of our team. We pushed the No. 2 team to the edge. We basically stepped on our old high score, and you can't do much more than that."

Auburn will face Missouri in Columbia live on the SEC Network for the second consecutive week next Friday at 8 p.m. CT.

Single meet ticket prices are $3 for groups of 15 or more, $5 and $8 general admission, and Auburn University students are free. Go to AubTix.com for ticket information.

For the latest updates on Auburn Gymnastics, follow the Tigers on Twitter, @Auburn_Gym or like https://www.facebook.com/AUGymnastics