ATHENS, Ga. – The 17th-ranked LSU gymnastics team has posted back-to-back season-high team scores, and the Tigers will look to continue that pattern when they face No. 7 Georgia at 3 p.m. CT Saturday in Stegeman Coliseum.
The meet will be televised by FSN on a tape delay basis, and the first air date is set for Feb. 4 at 6 p.m. Live audio will be available for free in the Geaux Zone at www.LSUsports.net/live with Mike Smith, Ashleigh Clare-Kearney and Sara Pollock calling the action.
LSU (1-5, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) is looking to continue the trend of solid scores in Athens. In six dual meets at Georgia since 2000, LSU has averaged a 196.375 team score and tallied a 196 or higher in five of six meets.
“We’ve had some real enthusiastic training this week in practice, rebounding off back-to-back weeks of improved performances,” head coach D-D Breaux said. “What we’ve done over the last two weeks has met expectations, but now we need to take it to the next level and get better. We had an extra day this week that gave us an opportunity to rest a little more, so we need to come out ready to go.”
The Tigers are hopeful to add Maliah Mathis and Kaleigh Dickson back to the floor lineup, and Dickson may also compete in the all-around for the first time this season.
However, LSU will be without the services of Sarie Morrison, who had surgery on her foot early in the week and is expected to be out four to six weeks in recovery.
The Tigers will rely on contributions from the three freshmen all-arounders in Rheagan Courville, Lloimincia Hall and Jessie Jordan. They made LSU history last week at Arkansas as they became the first trio of freshmen Tigers to score a 39.300 or higher in the all-around in the same meet.
LSU will also count on solid scores from Lainie Fleming, Ericka Garcia, Randi Lau, Ashley Lee and Shelby Prunty, who all competed last week against the Razorbacks. Garcia, Lau and Lee tallied season highs at Arkansas, including a career-high 9.95 on vault by Lee.
The Tigers will take on a Georgia team that is 2-1 overall, 1-1 in the SEC and is coming off a 195.975-195.600 win at Auburn last week. The GymDogs enter the meet ranked No. 2 nationally on beam, fifth on bars, ninth on vault and 11th on floor.
Connect with LSU gymnastics by following the team on Facebook at www.facebook.com/lsugym or on Twitter @LSUgym. Live scoring updates will be posted on Facebook and Twitter during the meet.