The No. 8 Auburn gymnastics team defeated Michigan State 196.575-195.275 in East Lansing, Mich., Friday night.
The Tigers matched their season-high score. Auburn is now 6-4 overall and 3-3 in the SEC. Michigan State is now 8-11 overall and 1-6 in the Big 10.
"We needed a big road score, and we went in there, and we got it so we achieved our goal," said Auburn head coach Jeff Thompson.
The Tigers won three event titles and earned a record-high score on floor.
Senior AJ Mills claimed the tenth bar title of her career, her fourth this season. She also tied her career-high score of 9.9.
Senior Lindsey Puckett claimed the other two event titles Auburn captured in vault and floor. It was her fifth time receiving both vault and floor titles this season. On vault she scored a 9.95 for the third time this season and a 9.9 on floor.
"My vault, I've just been getting more and more consistent with it, and actually I stuck it this weekend, so that was really, really exciting," Puckett said. "And then the floor routine was probably one of the best I've done all year."
Puckett also won the all-around title for the fifth time. She tied her career-high score of 39.550.
"I'm just excited about the job that we did and I did," Puckett said.
Thompson said Auburn started off a little bit shaky on uneven bars because the bar lineup had to be switched around.
"We weren't as relaxed as we should have been," Thompson said. "But we rebounded well and did a great job on the other events the rest of the night."
Overall on bars the Tigers scored 48.950. Mills led the team with a score of 9.9. Puckett followed with a 9.825, and freshman Allyson Sandusky scored a 9.8.
"Everybody made their routines, but we just struggled a little bit with our handstands," Puckett said. "So after bars, we pulled together as a team and decided to take a deep breath and step back and let's just go out there and have fun."
Michigan State fell behind with a 48.475 overall on bars.
In the second rotation, the Tigers scored a 49.250 on vault. Puckett scored a 9.95, Mills came in second with a 9.875 and third went to another senior, Claire Seiffert, who scored a 9.825, her highest score on vault this season.
"It was very nice and very rewarding," Seiffert said. "Everything just fell into place."
The Spartans continued to trail behind on vault with a 48.675.
Next, Auburn headed to floor setting their season-high score of 49.325.
Puckett led the team with a 9.9 score. Mills and Rachel Inniss both earned 9.875. Seiffert scored a 9.85, matching her career-high score on floor.
Michigan State scored an overall score on floor of 49.150.
In the fourth and final rotation, Puckett scored the team's highest score on beam, with a 9.875. Inniss trailed behind with a 9.825. Mills and Kylie Shields both scored 9.8. Overall on beam the Tigers received a 49.050.
With a score of 48.975 on beam, the Spartans once again came up short against the Tigers.
Friday at 7 p.m. Auburn will compete against Ohio State at the Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum. It will be the Tigers last home meet and senior night.
"It's bittersweet," Seiffert said. "It's going to be very sad but exciting too."
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