ATHENS, GA - Led by a career high all-around score from junior Ashley Miles, the Alabama Gymnastics team used its second highest score of the season and its highest road mark to beat archrival Georgia 197.025-196.175 here in Stegeman Coliseum with 9,175 fans looking on.

It was the first time Alabama has beaten the Lady Dogs in Athens since the Crimson Tide won the 2000 Super Six Challenge.

Miles is now five-for-five in the all-around for her career. She won tonight's competition with a career high 39.675. It was a career night for Miles as she won the vault, balance beam and floor exercise. Freshman Terin Humphrey made it an Alabama sweep, winning the uneven bars with a 9.875.

And while Alabama enjoyed a happy ending, the night started off with a shock when the uneven bars setup that was suppose to be in place, freestanding bars, were not.

"We received a memo from Georgia saying that there would be freestanding bars in place for this meet and when we walked out on the floor for the meet, they had cable bars set up," Alabama head coach Sarah Patterson said. "We showed the memo to the Georgia coaching staff, and they apologized, but for us, it was going to be a problem. The difference between the two setups is huge and if we had known, we would have trained on cabled bars all week in preparation. As it was, we had to make a quick adjustment."

"I went back to 1995 when a similar situation occurred here in Athens, and (Georgia head coach) Suzanne (Yoculan) told us then that 'champions adjust, losers make excuses' and I challenged the team to do just that, adjust."

Patterson had to move Miles, who typically has trouble adjusting to cabled bars, deeper in the lineup, pushing sophomore Brittany Comeaux into the leadoff spot.

"We spent the first rotation really kind of scrambling, thinking on our feet the whole way through," Patterson said. "I think once we got to vault in the second rotation, we just kind of settled in. If anything, the bars situation gave us a spark."

The Tide came alive on the vault, scoring a led by a season high 9.95 from senior Alexis Brion and a 9.975 from Miles. Humphrey and Comeaux both scored season high marks on the vault, going 9.875 and 9.825 respectively. Meanwhile, the Dogs were having trouble on the uneven bars, falling twice and counting a 9.275 in their 48.375 total.

The Tide finished things off on the balance beam with a solid 49.000 score led by Miles' career high 9.9. Humphrey was second with a 9.875. Junior Rachel Delahoussaye led the Tide off with a 9.850. Georgia closed with a 49.475 on the floor exercise.

"Rachel really set the tone on beam with a beautiful routine that gave us a big spark to finish off the night with," Patterson said. "And Ashley captivated the entire audience with yet another huge floor exercise routine."

Alabama got things off to a 49.175 start on the uneven bars led by a 9.875 Humphrey. Junior Dana Filetti tied her career high with a 9.85, a mark matched by Miles. Georgia started the night off with a season high 49.325 on the vault.

Alabama scored a 49.225 on the floor exercise led again by Brion and Miles. Brion scored a 9.9, her fourth 9.9 or better score in five floor routines this season. Miles scored a 9.95, tying her season best. Four of her floor scores have been 9.95s this season and all six have gone better than 9.9. Georgia scored a 49.000 on the balance beam to give Alabama a lead of 1.1 points going into the final rotation.

Alabama remains on the road next week, traveling to Fayetteville, Ark. to face Arkansas Friday (Feb. 25) at 7 p.m.

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