Facing the No. 1 team in the country on the road, Alabama gymnastics had a chance to pull off the upset heading into the final rotation on the balance beam. The Crimson Tide showed resiliency with five straight hit routines on beam after a fall in the leadoff spot, but it was not enough to take down the Gators.
No. 1 Florida beat No. 4 Alabama 197.425-197.275 inside Exactech Arena in Gainesville on Friday night.
Alabama held a comfortable lead at the end of the first rotation after a shaky start on vault for the home team and a fantastic start on the uneven bars for the Crimson Tide. Led by a career high 9.975 from junior Chloe LaCoursiere, Alabama posted a 49.550 on the bars, besting its total from a week ago by over a tenth. Head coach Ashley Johnston challenged her team to stick more routines during practice this week, and they answered the challenge with four stuck landings on bars…