UCLA
Utah
UCLA Edged by Utah, 197.550-197.425
February 18, 2018 | Gymnastics
LOS ANGELES - Out-of-bounds deductions on floor exercise in the final rotation cost No. 2 UCLA in a 197.550-197.425 dual meet loss to No. 3 Utah.
Over 11,000 fans in Pauley Pavilion watched the Pac-12's top teams battle to the very end. The teams were tied after three rotations, with UCLA ending on floor exercise and Utah finishing on balance beam. Utah hit six-for-six, scoring 49.4 on beam, but the Bruins had three of its first four gymnasts step out of bounds on floor, dropping their total to 49.275.
UCLA kept fighting, however, ending the meet with back-to-back 9.975s from Felicia Hano and Katelyn Ohashi.
"I liked seeing the grit that this team has," said UCLA head coach Valorie Kondos Field. "They kept fighting to the end. Even with the mistakes they made, they didn't give up in the middle of a routine, but we just had way too many snafus."
Strong leadoff performances gave UCLA the edge in the first half of the meet, as Nia Dennis posted career-high numbers to start on both vault and floor. Dennis' vault, a 9.95-valued Yurchenko layout full, merited a deduction-free 9.95 to start the meet. Her score, along with Pauline Tratz's career-high 9.925 that immediately followed, lifted the Bruins to a team total of 49.450, its highest of the night. Utah started on uneven bars with a 49.300.
Nia Dennis receives a perfect score (SV 9.950) on vault for @uclagymnastics.
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) February 19, 2018
Headed to the second rotation: https://t.co/ZhZuI5ezsa pic.twitter.com/GrJHsmFTgY
Dennis had another winning leadoff routine in rotation two, scoring a career-best and meet-winning 9.925 on uneven bars. Katelyn Ohashi followed her with a season-high 9.9, but the Bruins were unable to keep up the pace, with the remaining four team members scoring below their average. UCLA's score of 49.3 was matched by Utah, who totaled 49.3 on vault.
With UCLA up by .150 at the halfway mark, Utah got stronger, scoring 49.55 on floor exercise, led by MyKayla Skinner's 9.975. The Utes had four floor routines score 9.9 or higher. UCLA put up a strong 49.4 on balance beam, led by Ohashi's 9.925 and Madison Kocian's 9.9 but left points on the table with uncharacteristic mistakes. Kyla Ross was off-center and stepped on her dismount after performing what looked to be a perfect routine, giving her a score of 9.875, and Christine Peng-Peng Lee, who was coming off two-straight perfect 10s on beam, bent at the waist on her double turn and scored 9.8.
It came down to Utah on beam versus UCLA on floor, and while the Utes were smooth and steady with a pair of 9.925s and three other scores of 9.825 or better, the Bruins were shaky. Gracie Kramer and Dennis stepped out of bounds on their first tumbling passes, and Tratz took a step back on her last tumbling pass. Hano and Ohashi's nearly perfect routines ended the meet on a good note, but were not enough to catch Utah.
Felicia Hano delivers a 9.975 for @uclagymnastics.
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) February 19, 2018
Watch: https://t.co/ZhZuI5ezsa pic.twitter.com/54n6AJCpIU
The Bruins will next host Oregon State on Sunday, Feb. 25 at 3pm in Pauley Pavilion. Tickets are on sale now at uclabruins.com/tickets.
Players Mentioned
