No. 16 @MizzouGym Scores a Season-High 196.550 in Narrow Loss to No. 8 Alabama

Friday, February 1

Columbia, Mo.

7:30 p.m. CT

University of Missouri

196.550

196.850

#8 Alabama

No. 16 @MizzouGym Scores a Season-High 196.550 in Narrow Loss to No. 8 Alabama

2/1/2019 10:27:00 PM | Gymnastics

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The No. 16 Mizzou gymnastics team scored 49.100 or better on all four events as the team recorded a season-high team score in a close 196.850-196.550 loss to No. 8 Alabama Friday night at the Hearnes Center. Senior Britney Ward (Ozark, Mo.) and junior Aspen Tucker (Lehigh Acres, Fla.) both tied for the floor title against the Crimson Tide.

KEY PERFORMANCES

The Tigers started strong on vault in the first rotation with a 49.125, keeping pressure on Alabama from the get-go. Ward and Tucker paced the squad with their 9.875s, while redshirt junior Morgan Porter (Overland, Mo.) added a 9.825 and senior Madeleine Huber (St. Louis, Mo.) went 9.8 in the leadoff spot.

Huber and Porter both notched 9.85s in the final two spots in the bars lineup as Missouri earned a 49.100 on the apparatus. Redshirt senior Becca Schugel (Eagan, Minn.) went 9.825, and sophomore Chelsey Christensen (Rapid City, S.D.) matched her career-high with a 9.8.

The Tigers tied their season-best on beam in the third rotation, posting a 49.200 on the event. Senior Allison Bower (Mesa, Ariz.) and junior Mary Nicholson (North Richland Hills, Texas) both went 9.85 as the first two up in the lineup to get the team off on the right foot. Sophomore Gabrielle Gottula (Spring, Texas) also earned a 9.85 to set a new career-high, and Ward added a 9.8.

Mizzou made up one-tenth in the final rotation but it was not enough to overcome the Crimson Tide. The Tigers tied it's season-high on floor with a 49.200 thanks to four scores of at least 9.875. The first three Tigers up, Bower, Nicholson and Porter, all tallied season-best 9.875s, while Tucker tied her career-high with a 9.9 to highlight he rotation.

QUOTABLES

Mizzou Head Coach Shannon Welker
"I thought we did a good job of staying focused on ourselves and on our team. The unique thing about gymnastics is there's no defense, so if you can stay focused on your team you can do a good job, and I think we did that tonight. We had some different people step up in different situations, so I was really proud of them tonight."