The fifth-ranked LSU gymnastics team scored 197.450 in front of 12,838 fans, losing to 10th-ranked Kentucky on Friday night inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
The Wildcats led the team to the SEC's final with 197.50. The LSU crowd ranked the sixth-highest in gymnastics program history.
"We didn't do our job tonight," said head coach Jay Clark. "We had a lot of distractions in the warmup, and we weren't quite as dialed in as we were. There were a lot of problems with the landing, which was frustrating. I think that's the way we performed and the way it ended. Really shocking and I think they will go hungry."
LSU seniors Sami Durante and Sarah Edwards participated in and around the event, along with sophomore Haley Bryant. Bryant scored 9.95 on vault, bar and beam. His score of 39.75 in all-around was a new career high. Durante also carried the Home Bar with a 9.95 and an Edwards anchored floor with a 9.925.
The Tigers opened the vault with 49.350 and fell behind the Wildcats. Sami Durante opened with 9.875. Elena Arenas and KJ Johnson scored 9.85 and Kia Johnson scored 9.825. Bryant anchors the rotation with an A. 9.95.
Kia Johnson and Arenas scored 9.825 in the bar. Olivia Dunne followed with 9.875 and Bryant with a career-high 9.95. Durante anchored with 9.95 to post 49.425 on the bar.
The Tigers scored another 49.425 on the beam in the third rotation. Cristina Desiderio started with 9.90 and Arenas with 9.825. Dean returned to the lineup with a 9.85 and Bryant matched his career high with a 9.95. Freshman Aleh Finnegan also posted 9.90 in fifth for the Tigers.
LSU was unable to find its landing on the floor for 49.250. Dunne and KJ Johnson scored 9.80 and Finnegan scored 9.825. Bryant scored 9.90 in fifth place, and Edwards finished the night with a 9.925 and won.
4 Utah returns to the PMAC on Friday, March 11 for the finale of the LSU regular season. The meeting will conclude for LSU's six seniors.