UCLA
Utah
UCLA Edges Utah, 197.100-197.075
February 07, 2016 | Gymnastics
Los Angeles, Calif. - UCLA Gymnastics came roaring back from a 0.250 deficit in the final rotation with a rousing floor exercise set to defeat Utah by the slimmest of margins, 197.100-197.075. Once again, it was senior Sadiqua Bynum who clinched the victory for the Bruins. Needing a score of 9.925 to tie, she did one better, recording a 9.95 to give fifth-ranked UCLA (3-2, 2-1 in the Pac-12) the win over the seventh-ranked Utes (4-1, 2-1) in front of a crowd of 7,546.
The Bruins, who are the top-ranked team in the nation on floor exercise, totaled a season-high 49.6 on the event, led by Angi Cipra's 9.975, Bynum's 9.95, and a pair of 9.925s from Madison Preston and Sophina DeJesus, who were both competing on floor in Pauley Pavilion for the first time this season.
It was a close meet from start to finish. Utah took the early lead in the first rotation, 49.200-49.075, thanks to a pair of 9.9+ scores on bars from Kassandra Lopez (9.925) and Baely Rowe (9.9). UCLA was steady on vault, with high marks of 9.85 coming from Bynum and Preston. Sonya Meraz, who was a late substitute, scored 9.8 on a near-stuck vault.
UCLA made up some room in the second rotation, scoring 49.175 on bars to Utah's 49.1 on vault. Hallie Mossett led the charge with a career-high-tying 9.9 , and DeJesus added a 9.85, narrowing the deficit to half a tenth, 98.300-98.250.
Although UCLA scored 49.250 on balance beam in rotation three, Utah increased its lead to 0.25 with a 49.425 on floor exercise. The Bruins had three scores of 9.825 from Mikaela Gerber, Meraz and Danusia Francis, a season-high-tying 9.85 from DeJesus, and a meet-winning 9.925 from Christine Peng-Peng Lee. Utah had five scores of 9.825 or higher on floor, including a 9.95 from Sabrina Schwab and a 9.9 from Breanna Hughes.
Down 147.725-147.500 going into the last rotation, Preston kick-started UCLA's comeback with a strong Pauley floor debut that scored a career-high 9.925. Francis followed with her crowd-favorite routine that scored 9.825 and featured the entire UCLA student section falling back after being shot at with her finger guns. The Bruin back three, though, really brought the house down, starting with DeJesus, who was competing on floor for the first time this season. Her high-energy routine included a stuck-cold double back middle pass and a dab to finish, resulting in a 9.925. Cipra combined some of her best tumbling to date with her infamous iPhone routine and earned a 10.0 from one judge and a 9.95 from the other for a final score of 9.975, a new career-high. Cipra's score kept the door open for the Bruins, who needed 9.925 from Bynum to tie and 9.95 to win. Bynum, who had been in a similar position for UCLA against Alabama in the season opener, came through in the clutch once again, scoring 9.95 to give the Bruins the narrow victory.
UCLA is back in Pauley Pavilion on Saturday, Feb. 13 for an 8pm dual meet against Oregon State.
Players Mentioned
