Goodnight from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where the Tide comes from behind in the final rotation on beam to secure the victory over the Bengal Tigers.

Alabama puts together once again another new line-up on several events to compensate for the missing routines of Terin Humphrey and Ashley O'Neal, while Kayla Hoffman was held off the floor and balance beam to rest her as well. The Tide will certainly need to bring their A-level performance next week at home against the super talented and tenacious Florida Gators - hopefully Terin will be ready to go again on bars and O'Neal will continue to improve that ankle she tweaked recently - Bama will also return to the rankings now that they have three road scores in the bank. Welcome back to Cassie Martin on the bars and her exhibit on balance beam - she scored 9.750 on bars that was counted in the final team total - so things are looking up for her as well. This gives Bama more quality depth on bars as they move into the post-season.

1st: ACK
2nd: Kassi Price
3rd: Ricki Lebegern

1st: Morgan Dennis
2nd: Kassi Price
3rd: Ricki Lebegern and ACK

1st: ACK
2nd: Brittany Magee and Nicole Lyons

1st: Summer Hubbard
2nd: Kassi Price
3rd: Sabrina Franceschelli

1st: ACK
2nd: Schwitkis and Jackson

Donation total is about 20,000 but this will increase over the next few years if they continue to push it in the community.

at 39.400 and Ricki Lebegern at 39.175, Morgan Dennis at 38.875

Kayla Hoffman completed a very nice exhibition for the Tide (9.650 score) and Cassie Martin is going up next. She looks good on the initial switch leap to straddle jump, showing beautiful form, extension and flexibility. But she encounters trouble on the side aerial (falls) and later on the bhs to layout step-out flight series (2nd fall). Completes a beautiful running side straddle leap and sticks the landing of the bhs to gainer full twist.

and then throws the switch leap to straddle jump and loses her balance on the final element - so we see her first fall this season on this event. She executes the rest of her routine just fine, including the dismount of the double tuck, slight step on the landing. Score: 9.375. Bama will throw that score out and finish with a team total on beam of: 49.125

ACK throws a double layout, double pike and closes with front tumbling in combination with a barani 1/2 out - she had a forward landing on her double layout but the rest of the routine was fine - 9.825 final score.

to layout step-out - full turn - wolf front aerial - shoulder shift and step forward - that will be a deduction - dismounts with a double pike, one step back, a little leg split from our angle while in the air - Score: 9.825

Susan Jackson on floor for the Tigers - opens with a double layout, step back quickly but controlled - split to straddle full combination - headspring - second pass of a front to a double full to front punch layout - very nicely done - finishes with a double pike but bounds out of it forward and chest down (still stands it up) - so that will be the only major deduction for her. Score: 9.750

bhs to layout stepout - perfect - switch leap to straddle - nice - side straddle jump - nice control on the landing as well - full turn - side Somi - holds position bent forward at waist to balance - would like to see that landed more chest high - dismounts with a round off to double twist - nice landing! Score: 9.825

Samantha Engle is up on floor for LSU - opens with a deep landing double front Arabian - has to step forward to save it but she stands it up - front-front to front twist - a little sluggish in the rotation forward and she lands a 2 1/2 to close, also sluggish on the twisting, requiring her to hop to the side to balance the landing - that's the most difficulty tonight on floor from LSU we've seen, so she just needs to polish up her execution and that could be a high scoring routine down the road. Score: 9.725

full turn - such pretty form and presentation - front walkover to side aerial - split full jump - front aerial - nice - switch leap to tuck full jump to beat jump - one arm bhs - wolf full jump - running front full twist dismount - small hop on landing. Score: 9.750

Fraceschelli is now up on floor after D-D Breaux has her wait to double check the judges' listing - if she is not next in their line-up they will incur a deduction - meanwhile D-D's daughter is right behind us leading the "defense!" cheers - unfortunately for her the LSU Tiger football team cannot get out there and tackle our gals. So Sabrina will have to lead them on - she opens with dance for the first 30 seconds and then tumbles a double pike - great height - step slightly to the side on landing - double tuck for her second pass, lands it deep and back one large step to hold - leg split mid-air as well - will close out with a rather loose 2 1/2 - a step to the left to balance the landing - Score: 9.750

Front aerial to open - switch leap to straddle jump - bhs to layout stepout - full turn - sheep jump - side straddle leap - bhs to gainer full twist, small hop back; no other balance checks noted - Score: 9.850

Kayla Rogers opens with a double pike - nice amplitude and landing is solid - problems on her second pass of the double twist to punch tuck - lands it low and bent deep at the knees - finishes with a double tuck - legs split and major cowboy form in the air, so that will be deducted - Score: 9.625

balance - Eye of the Tiger music - front to front full twist - Hold that Tiger - finishes with a double tuck - Score: 9.750

First gymnast up for the Tide will be junior Brittany Magee - flight series of gainer bhs to layout stepout - shoulder shift to balance the landing -front aerial - switch leap to pike jump and a gainer back layout step-out looks great - dismounts with a 1 1/2 twist. Nails the landing - Score: 9.875

LSU: 147.325 and Alabama: 147.175

with confidence. We love her music. Opens with a double pike, second pass was a front-front full to front tuck - bounded forward on landing the third element. Finishes with a double twist. Pretty good effort for her first routine on floor.

crowd loves her music and is clapping along with her - second pass is difficult - a double tuck (left out the full in this week) - ROTC group loves her dance moves and boogies along with her in unison - she will close with a front tuck through to a perfect double tuck - great landing this week. Score: 9.875 - let's see if these judges maintain their tight scoring on the floor with the home team, as that was a terrific routine.

She opens with a 2 1/2 to punch tuck - perfect - follows with a double tuck - another great landing - she really knows where the floor is and her position in space - lots of sassy dancing - smiles hugely before entering the last tumbling pass - nails the double pike and right on time with the music. Score: 9.850

ACK will finish up on beam for the Tigers - straddle full jump - switch leap to tuck full, body shift to balance the landing - bhs to layout stepout - side aerial - gainer pike dismount off the end - Score: 9.90 - with a C dismount. Now that's impressive sports fans!

She opens with a whip through to a double tuck - very nice landing - second pass of a double pike, a little low on landing, one step forward to balance it - finishes with a whip 1/2 to whip full twist - has to jump to her left to balance and stand it up. Score: 9.775

Esposito is through her flight series but has a major balance check on the full jump and then falls on her front aerial later - dismounts with a double tuck. Score: 9.250 She seemed to be going too fast through this routine, normally her best event.

wolf front aerial to open - bhs to layout step-out -slight shoulder shift to balance - full turn - switch leap to sheep jump - front aerial and she moves forward to dismount with a gainer back pike. Score: 9.875 - that's a high score considering the weak dismount that was not clearly connected to the prior element (the front aerial)

Opens with a front through to a front double full, stands it up but has to bend at the knees to hold it - perfect double pike for her second pass - dance looks a little off at one point - finishes with a front punch layout to immediate Rudi (1 1/2) - nails it - and finishes strong - Score: 9.725 - they took off on the first pass - and perhaps for some of the timing on a few dance moves prior to that final pass. Something just did not look right there.

bhs to layout step-out - nice form and extension on this series - side Somi with a few arm waves to balance her landing - straddle full jump but takes alot of time to set it up - full turn - dismounts with a running front full twist, pops forward on the landing, head down a bit as well. Score: 9.800

second pass is a beautiful double tuck - split leap full out of a running switch leap - ready for the finish - she closes with a front punch layout -through to a front full twist - nice finish but she will be deducted for the weaker final pass. Score: 9.750

bhs to bhs to layout step-out - form is bent throughout but she stands it up - punch front - very low, has to step back to stay on - switch leap to straddle - full turn with a little balance check as well - double tuck that almost didn't make it around but she stands it up. Score: 9.650

First pass is a double tuck - super high, great landing - front-front full to front layout - nice; finishes with a double pike - perfect landing again. Way to start us off Ricki - Score: 9.825

bhs to two-footed bhs, switch leap to straddle jump, front aerial to wolf jump; punch front tuck, nice landing; full turn, balance check with leg lift; double tuck dismount, chest down, hop back. Score: 9.725

difficult Y 1 1/2 efforts by Lebegern and Price's Hristakieva (Price stuck hers, Lebegern barely missed the stick). So Bama needs to be clean and powerful on the floor to get the scores up even more.

Running score after two events: LSU: 98.375 and Bama: 98.100

trying to go for the stick - resulting in a jammed, pike-down effect forward instead of the preferred landing of this vault chest high with backward movement if you have to step.

Megan Mashburn exhibits the front pike 1/2 twist with good block and form in the air, lands it with one step to the side to balance - Score: 9.800

ACK finishes on bars for the Tigers - straddle Jaeger - tuck full in dismount - one small step forward on landing it but great distance; she has great rhythm throughout this routine and floated that Jaeger release. Score: 9.800

She was a little rubber-banded in form during the final front layout off.

Susan Jackson completes her routine on bars with a tuck full in dismount, step back on landing - Score: 9.775 - she piked her body back down as she was transitioning from high to low bar, so they deducted there most likely along with some form issues.

She was really going for the stick and seemed to jam her landing uncharacteristically. One judge hit her with a 9.700, way harsh.

Nicole Lyons completes her routine but stumbles forward on the landing of the double front. Score: 9.650 Form needs to improve on the handstands and release move (pike Jaeger).

landing. Definitely the most difficult vault being thrown tonight. Score: 9.850, so the judges were not as impressed.

Franceschelli completes her routine with nice form on her straddle Jaeger and handstands - double front dismount, one small shuffle on the landing - Score: 9.850 - she has improved dramatically on this event in just one year.

The Bama contingent behind us are on their feet yelling loudly in appreciation. Score: 9.850

Summer Hubbard for LSU on bars - nice Gienger release and a 1 1/2 to straddle back to the low bar and a stuck double layout. Super confidence and quick rotation throughout all the moves. Very nice! Score: 9.90

Big vault but a big hop back as well - not a good way to start. Score: 9.800

Esposito is first up on bars for LSU - she throws a stalder 1/2 turn on the high bar and dismounts with a double tuck, slight step on landing - no major release in this routine. Score: 9.700

You can't be in front of the home crowd every week and depend upon them to pump you up, you must make your own energy - so some stuck landings would be great to pull them back into this meet quickly. Pump it up Bama!

LSU is at a hefty 49.350. So, the Tide has major work to do if they are going to pull this one out.

Jac Shealy exhibited her bars routine and receives a 9.500 - heavily deducted for the transition to the low bar not hitting vertical, the absence of the toe-shoot straddle transition element back to the high bar and the C dismount (Comaneci). But her form is impeccable on that Tkatchev. Amanda Montgomery also exhibits and encounters some trouble on one of her pirouettes, having to cast back through and around, but finishes well for a 9.525.

She nails the Hindorff, the free hip giant and the double layout landing is superb. Score: 9.875. That's a little conservative but she just missed perfect vertical position on at least one of the handstands.

She receives a 9.925. Legs were separated during landing and there was a little pike down as well but she landed it chest high.

the judges. Score: 9.875

Kayla Hoffman is up for the Tide next - lets hope she gets that tricky pirouetting this week - 1/2 turn to full turn to Tkatchev and she slips on the low bar as she tries to throw the toe shoot and has to kip back up but sticks the double layout. Score: 9.350 due to brushing her feet on the mat as she slipped forward and past the low bar when she was preparing to anchor past into the toe-shoot spread-eagle. So this was counted essentially as a fall on the bars.

Kaitlin White is up for the Tide - nails the Gienger release and the pak Salto and sticks the double tuck out of a full turn. Rotation needs to be faster though on the pirouetting so the judges could definitely take off here. Score: 9.825

distance from the vault table. Score: 9.875

Morgan Dennis hits her routine with no problem - pike Jaeger and a double front with great amplitude - one small step in place on the landing. Score: 9.800.

She throws a Y 1/1 as well, two steps back also - nice form in the air during rotation. Score: 9.825

Cassie Martin is up next for Bama - first routine of the year for her - hits all the big skills - toe on to Tkatchev to pak Salto - and has beautiful handstands enroute - but her rotation is a little slow initially, so the judges may deduct her there - she sticks the new dismount of a Comaneci as well. Score: 9.750

She throws a Yurchenko 1/1 - takes a few steps back on the landing - nice rotation in the air and good form. Score: 9.775

Ricki is up on bars - 1/2 turn to front giant to straddle Jaeger - nice handstands so far - dismounts with a tuck full in, chest down, step forward. Score: 9.675 whoa...way harsh

Ricki Lebegern, Cassie Martin, Morgan Dennis, Kaitlin White, Kayla Hoffman and Kassi Price.

Vault for LSU: Cipolloni, Rogers, Schwitkis, Lyons, Jackson and ACK

Alabama is decked out in their hot pink leo, with silver and white crested waves on the front and back, highlighted at the top with black netting on the upper shoulders and arms. Lots of sparkly sequins as well.

LSU is wearing a dark hot pink, purple and silver-lined leo of shiny metallic material.

They have a senior Kristi Esposito and two juniors, ACK and Lauren Klein.

LSU is now entering the arena, led by a stuffed Mike the Tiger. They are doing the slow march in and step up onto a dais to be introduced one by one.

LSU will try and feed off the home crowd's electricity to pump them to high scores on the opening two events, vault and uneven bars, hoping that this will put immediate pressure on the Crimson Tide and force some early errors. And then LSU will have to avoid counting a fall on their nemesis, the balance beam, in order to bring the victory home. If they are successful, look for a strong finish on the floor exercise.

Alabama unfortunately is without senior Terin Humphrey on bars tonight and this immediately impacts their team score by removing what has become a sure bet routine. So they will have to minimize the deductions, hit all the huge release moves and stick the dismount landings to come out with a comparable score to LSU, who will likely hit solidly on vault. Then it's all about executing their skills on the Tide's remaining events, floor and beam, like we know they can. This means stay in bounds on floor and stay on the beam to bring home the victory. It should be a great meet between two terrific teams - RTR!

a local breast cancer awareness program named for former LSU football player Bradie James' mother, Etta, who died a few years back from this disease. So there are several fans here tonight wearing pink to show their support but it will take probably a few years to get them seriously behind the cause - as there are many fans in the arena that are donned in LSU's traditional colors or regular street clothing. Compare this to Alabama's 15,000 plus crowd two weeks ago where it seemed everyone had some shade of pink on in the arena.

Bengal Tiger gymnasts will no doubt run out of as they are being introduced to the home crowd. Last year Auburn had a similar one but for some reason got rid of it this year. We miss Aubie!

The meet starts in about 20 minutes!

this point on the beam. If she warms up well, Coach may put her in. So far she is looking solid. Double pike dismount from Kassi looks good. Looks like Morgan is planning to throw the two layouts tonight, along with a switch leap to straddle jump. She has really increased her difficulty on this event.

Kayla Hoffman will take a break from the beam this week, as she has struggled the past couple of meets. She will possibly exhibit on this event tonight. Looks like Brittany Magee will return to the line-up now that her ankle is back to 100% and she may start for the Tide on this event tonight.

(2 1/2 to punch front layout) until she gets it perfect in the left corner. Megan Mashburn has cool music. Kaitlin White works extra on the double pike right before the final seconds of this long warm-up rotation tick off.

and Ricki Lebegern gets major amplitude on her double tuck as does Morgan on the double layout to open.

Brittany Magee in lieu of Kayla Hoffman, who likely will be rested this meet on floor. Overton had a great debut of her new routine two weeks ago but has been favoring an ankle this week in practice and Brittany so far is looking very sharp with her whip to double pike and the double tuck passes.

Casey Overton, Brittany Magee, Kayla Hoffman, Kassi Price, Kaitlin White, Morgan Dennis, Ricki Lebegern and Megan Mashburn are tumbling on the purple mat, which has been moved to where they used to have the uneven bars (basically in the middle).

while Coach Patterson looks on. Martin throws a switch leap to straddle, bhs to layout step-out, running switch side straddle jump (nice) and dismounts with a bhs to gainer full twist.

Except Kayla Hoffman of course, who gets major airtime and stretch. Nice Hristakieva from Kassi Price just then.

same line-up from two weeks ago against the Arkansas GymBacks: Casey Overton, Brittany Magee, Ricki Lebegern, Kayla Hoffman, Kassi Price and Morgan Dennis. Lebegern will debut a Yurchenko 1 1/2 tonight on vault while Kassi Price will throw either a 1 1/2 or a Hristakieva. Megan Mashburn will be in the 7th spot, throwing a pike 1/2. Alyssa Chapman tweaked her ankle this week in practice and will not be warming up on vault or floor.

Ricki Lebegern, Cassie Martin (!), Morgan Dennis, Kaitlin White, Kayla Hoffman and Kassi Price, Amanda Montgomery and Jac Shealy.

On vault warming up for the Tigers we saw Paige Cipolloni, Kayla Rogers, Staci Schwitkis, Nicole Lyons, Susan Jackson and Ashleigh Clare-Kearney.

Alabama is warming up on the uneven bars while the Tigers are focusing on the vault. We spoke briefly with Coach Patterson prior to the long warm-ups and she confirmed that senior Terin Humphrey remained in Tuscaloosa for this meet in order to continue her recovery from a sore back, that re-aggravated itself this past week in practice. She will hopefully be ready to go next week against the Florida Gators in Tuscaloosa on the 29th.