The Auburn gymnastics team posted season highs in two of the four events Friday night in its meet against rival Alabama, but it was not enough to end "The Streak."
No. 5 Alabama improved to 108-0 all-time against No. 12 Auburn in NCAA meets with a 197.500-197.100 victory against the Tigers at Auburn Arena.
"I don't look at streaks or anything like that. I look at it like we were ranked 12th, and they were ranked fifth," said Auburn head coach Jeff Graba. " I think this says we're under-ranked. Yeah, we didn't upend No. 5, but we take a lot of confidence from it."
Friday night's attendance was 7,123, which was the second-highest in program history behind Alabama's last visit in 2012.
Although Auburn recorded new season highs on both uneven bars and the balance beam, the Crimson Tide kept their streak alive with big scores on vault and floor.
"Actually, it was about as good as we could do," Graba said. "We were hitting our landings and getting really sharp on some stuff. I was pretty impressed. Even with Bri's fall at the end, it's still one of the best nights we had in a couple years."
Megan Walker led the way for the Tigers in setting those new highs, posting a 9.925 on the beam and a 9.990 on the uneven bars. Caitlin Atkinson was Auburn's all-around leader with a combined score of 39.375.
"Normally, I don't like to watch [everyone else], but with so many people here, I couldn't give up the opportunity to see my teammates thrive on this energy," Atkinson said. "It was a wonderful experience."
The Tigers took a .025 lead -- the smallest lead possible in a gymnastics meet -- after the first rotation by scoring 49.275 on vault, Auburn's best event by average this season.
Alabama took the lead by the same margin after the second rotation in spite of Auburn's season-high on the uneven bars. Atkinson, Bri Guy and Kelsey Kopec each posted a 9.875 to go with Walker's 9.900.
The Crimson Tide scored a 49.425 on vault after Sarah DeMeo's opening score of 9.900.
The fifth-ranked Tide got some breathing room on the third rotation with a 49.500 on the floor. Auburn had some early issues with its rotation on the beam but finished strong to move just .275 points behind Alabama.
"One of the things we decided to do as a team was focus on all the little things all the way through -- not just for each person, but the whole team," Atkinson said. "Every little thing in each routine, every day. I think everybody really addressed what their issues were, and tonight just added to our confidence in what we could do on the beam."
The visitors stretched their lead on the beam to take the meet by four tenths of a point. Auburn scored 49.200 on the floor to end the evening, with M.J. Rott scoring a team-high 9.925.
The evening ended on a scary note as Guy landed on her head during her floor routine, which was Auburn's last of the meet. Guy sat up after a couple of minutes but was stretchered off, still visibly shaken after the fall.
"I didn't get a good view, but I think she rolled her ankle on takeoff," Graba said. "That's why she didn't get enough amplitude. I think they checked her out, and it's mainly the ankle we're worried about. It put a damper on a really good night, and it's a concern of everybody here, obviously."
Auburn will return to action next Friday, Feb. 21, against another rival, No. 6 Georgia. The meet will start at 7 p.m. inside Auburn Arena.
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