No. 19 Auburn tops No. 12 Georgia with a 197.050

AUBURN, Ala. – The No. 19 Auburn gymnastics team picked up a big win in Auburn Arena Friday night, topping No. 12 Georgia, 197.050-196.150. The score was the team's second highest this season.
 
"I told the team I was really proud of them tonight," head coach Jeff Graba said. "They did what we asked them to do all week. We wanted them to just start fast and to stay as a group, stay as a team and they fought through some adversity as well. I'm really happy with the attitude and the focus of everybody, not just the ones competing. It was a busy night but, I felt like they did a really good job."
 
The win was the second-straight victory over Georgia at home with the last coming in January of 2019.
 
Auburn (1-5, 1-4 SEC) set season bests on three of four events and saw nine routines either set or tie career bests. Highlighting the night was the team's performance on bars where the Tigers finished with a 49.475, tying for the fifth-highest bars score in program history. Four of the six competitors in the event either set or tied their career highs.
 
"I'm never really aware of how many records we're setting at the time," Graba said. "I just feel like we're doing a good job and we're improving. It's not surprising to me that we got on a roll like that."
 
Leading the Tigers on the evening was sophomore Cassie Stevens who won the all-around with a career-best 39.450. The Phoenix, Ariz., product set or tied a career high on bars (9.875), beam (9.875) and floor (9.875) as well.
 
"I think Cassie is almost up to full speed and she's still got a little bit left to do," Graba said. "I'm not surprised at all with her performance tonight. This is who Cassie is and this is what leaders do on your team. They step up and calm the troops down. That's exactly what she did tonight."
 
Junior Derrian Gobourne, of Sarasota, Fla., won three of the four individual event titles, including the bars crown with a career-best 9.95.
 
Auburn faces No. 1 Florida for the second time this season, traveling to Gainesville next week. The Tigers and the Gators will go head-to-head in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center at 7:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network, Feb. 26.
 
VAULT
The Tigers started the night strong with a season-best 49.225 on vault in the first rotation. Three sophomores in Piper Smith, Adeline Sabados and Stevens put together 9.8s for the team. Senior Drew Watson earned a season-best 9.9 on her Yurchenko 1.5 and Gobourne won the event title with a season-high 9.925 with her Yurchenko 1.5.
 
BARS
Rotation two was a big event for Auburn as the team finished with a 49.475 on bars. Gobourne anchored the apparatus with a career-high 9.95 to win the event crown. Sophomore Aria Brusch earned a career-best 9.925 and Stevens tied her career high with a 9.875. Sophomore Anna Sumner led things off with a career score of 9.85 and Piper Smith chipped in a 9.875.
 
BEAM
The Tigers battled through the third rotation and still came away with a solid 49.000 on beam. Freshman Gabby McLaughlin and Stevens led the charge with a pair of 9.875s at the end of the lineup. That score tied a career best for Stevens. Senior Meredith Sylvia continued her steady ways in the event with a 9.85 and freshman Olivia Hollingsworth set a career high with a 9.8. Watson's 9.6 was added to the team score.
 
FLOOR
Auburn closed out the evening with another big score, finishing with a season-best 49.350. Gobourne earned her third-straight floor crown with a 9.925, while Stevens finished with a 9.9. That tied her career best. Watson and Hollingsworth each finished with a 9.875, setting a career high for Hollingsworth. Sabados chipped in a 9.775.