TUSCALOOSA, ALA - Sarah Patterson said it all week, telling anyone that would listen that the Alabama-LSU gymnastics meet would come down to the last two competitors for each team on the last event.

That is exactly what happened Friday night at Coleman Coliseum, as fourth-ranked Alabama got 9.9s or better from its final three gymnasts on the floor exercise to outlast the No. 8 LSU Tigers, 197.175-197.050, in front of 9,718 fans.

"I remember saying this week that I felt this meet would come down to the last four routines, the last two beam routines for LSU and Alexis Brion and Ashley Miles on floor," Patterson said. "I just wanted to be close enough to put ourselves in position to win the meet. Lo and behold going to the last rotation we were tied. I told the girls before we went to floor, the first four up need to set the tone and put in Alexis and Ashley's hands and they did great."

The meet was tied going into the last rotation and after four gymnasts had gone in the last rotation on each side, it was still tied. For the Tide it would come down to All-American Alexis Brion and defending NCAA floor exercise champion Ashley Miles. For the Tigers on the balance beam, it was Kelly Phelan and April Burkholder.

Phelan recorded a 9.875, only to see Brion post a 9.975 - tying her career-best score on the floor. LSU finished with a 9.975 from Burkholder, but Miles - who had already recorded a perfect 10 on the vault earlier in the meet - wowed the crowd yet again with a 9.925 to clinch the meet.

A replay of the meet will be broadcast Sunday, Jan. 30 at 2:30 p.m. CST on espn2.

The furious finish on the floor gave the Tide a 49.525 to LSU's 49.325 beam score. To get to the Miles and Brion, sophomore Erin Rightley posted a career best 9.85, senior Shannon Hrozek had a 9.875, and junior Mari-Christine Bayer had a clutch 9.9.

Miles got the Tide started off strong on the vault, punctuating Alabama's season-best 49.075 on the apparatus with her sixth career 10.0 on the vault and eighth overall at UA. Hrozek turned in a 9.825 in the leadoff spot on the vault while junior Dana Filetti posted a 9.8. LSU started the night on the uneven bars, posting a 49.175.

"I knew it, I just got this drive in me with such a huge force and I just knew I was going to nail the vault" Miles said of her 10.0. "I just clapped my hands and said let's move on to bars. I didn't care about the 10. I just knew that I needed to do the best I could tonight. With my preparation for the week being limited I thought I did a good job."

Led by back-to-back 9.875s from Bayer and Miles, and a 9.850 from freshman Terin Humphrey pushed Alabama to a season-best 49.225 on the uneven parallel bars. At the same time, LSU posted a 49.150 on the vault.

In the third rotation, Humphrey started the first collegiate balance beam routine with a move that bears her name and finished off with a meet-best 9.95, leading Alabama to a season-best 49.350. Bayer posted a season best 9.9 while senior Michelle Reeser made her 2005 debut with a 9.85 to lead the Tide off, a score matched by junior Rachael Delahoussaye in the second spot. Meanwhile on the floor exercise, LSU scored a season-high 49.325 - leaving the two teams tied at 147.65.

Alabama heads back to Gainesville, Fla. next weekend to face the Florida Gators. The Tide opened the season in the Sunshine State at the Super Six Challenge, where they finished third.

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