As hundreds of students waited in line outside Neville Arena for the much-anticipated basketball game against No. 3 Alabama, a sellout crowd of 9,121 filled the arena seats for an equally-anticipated gymnastics meet between No. 5 Auburn and No. 9 LSU.
The sellout crowd’s enthusiasm was rewarded with another perfect 10 from Suni Lee and a season-high tally for Auburn’s Tigers, who achieved a score of 197.750 en route to a victory over the visiting Tigers, who scored a 197.500.
“The goal from now on should be, in my eyes, to beat the last score,” said head coach Jeff Graba. “We should not be below 197.500, we should be up there. That’s our expectation. That’s our standard.”
The Tigers began on vault, scoring a 49.325, its second straight meet with that vault score. Derrian Gobourne led the way for Auburn with a 9.925 and each score that the Tigers counted was 9.800 or better, putting the Tigers ahead of its guest’s 49.275 at the end of one rotation.
Auburn had greater success on the uneven bars. The Tigers scored a season-best 49.500 in the event, beating the 49.400 they achieved twice previously. Both Sophia Groth and Cassie Stevens recorded scores of 9.9 or better, but another Tiger was perfect on the event.
For the second straight meet, Lee earned a 10 on the bars. The perfect score was Lee’s fourth of the season and the ninth of her Auburn career — a career that spans just 22 meets.
“It was crazy. I just feel like the energy was just all-around amazing,” Lee said. “Especially with the biggest crowd and then getting my first 10 here…I didn’t even know that it was my first time getting a 10 here in Neville Arena on bars. So it’s just a super amazing feeling.”
Lee’s 10 capped off a rotation that saw Auburn extend its lead to two-tenths of a point.
In the third rotation, with Auburn on beam, the Tigers were put in a pressure situation when lead-off gymnast Olivia Hollingsworth suffered a fall and scored a 9.325.
With its lead in jeopardy, Auburn’s next five gymnasts recorded hit after hit, with only one scoring below 9.800 and Gabby McLaughlin and Lee recording scores of 9.900 or better. Auburn dropped the fall and kept its lead, scoring a 49.275 for the rotation.
“That says a lot about our mentality and our focus,” Graba said. “So I don’t like the fact that we had to go through it, but we’re better for it.”
Through three rotations, just .025 separated the two teams of Tigers, but Auburn sealed its top 10 victory with a season-best 49.650 on floor, a score that the visitors could not overcome. Auburn’s score was just a half-tenth behind the nation’s best floor score this season, a 49.700 recorded by Alabama in its meet against the Tigers.
Auburn did not count a score below 9.9 in the rotation, earning that score three times and having two scores of 9.975 by Lee and Gobourne. The score easily bested Auburn’s previous season-best of 49.550 set against Arkansas on Jan. 20.
“Honestly, it was so much fun,” Gobourne said. “Just being able to be out there with my teammates and this energy was crazy tonight. And it’s always so special every time I end on floor and so it was so much fun.”
Gobourne’s 9.975 was the grand finale of Auburn’s season-best night. It was her sixth floor score this season of 9.9 or better without a perfect 10. One judge awarded her the perfect 10, but the other gave her a 9.95.
“It’s very frustrating (to not be awarded a perfect 10),” Gobourne said. “I give my all every time…I’m just going to keep doing what I do.”
Gobourne and Lee now have two home meets left in their Auburn careers — a bittersweet reality for the two Auburn stars.
“When I think about it being my last year, it’s kind of sad because I do love the environment,” Lee said. “I love Auburn. I love everybody here. The crowd is something that’s so unbeatable. I don’t think I’m ever going to experience that ever again.”
Riding a streak of two straight season-best performances, Auburn will have a nine-day break until its next meet. The Tigers will travel to Columbia, Mo. to take on No. 15 Missouri on Sunday, Feb. 19. The meet will begin 5 p.m. CST and will be televised on the SEC Network.
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Matthew is a senior from Huntsville, Alabama, majoring in journalism. He started with The Plainsman in fall 2021.
Twitter: @mattwallaceAU
