‘Turned it up a notch’: No. 4 Pink Rocks erase massive No. 9 UCLA lead for comeback win

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LOS ANGELES — The ultimate ever regular-season convention assembly between the Pink Rocks and UCLA delivered the drama once more.

The afternoon meet on ESPN got here right down to greatest vs. greatest within the remaining rotation.

And ultimately, the fourth-ranked Pink Rocks left Pauley Pavilion with a come-from-behind win with a 197.250 rating, topping No. 9 UCLA’s 196.975 on alumni evening in Los Angeles.

The Pink Rocks trailed by 0.425 on the halfway level as UCLA appeared properly on its option to pulling away for an enormous convention win in probably the most aggressive matchups in Pac-12 historical past. The Pink Rocks had been down however actually not out.

Pink Rocks head coach Carly Dockendorf mentioned she did not say something to her gymnasts on the halfway mark, however trusted them to simply carry out their gymnastics.

Makenna Smith led off with a 9.825 rating on ground, setting an early tone for the comeback in what was the bottom rating of the occasion for the visiting workforce. Freshman Ella Zirbes added a 9.875, and the following 4 gymnasts scored a 9.90 or greater — Grace McCallum topped the group with a 9.925 — to flip the deficit right into a 0.200 lead going into the ultimate rotation.

In that third rotation, UCLA failed to achieve some traction and received scores no greater than a 9.825 and had been pressured to depend three scores within the 9.7’s after some missteps and troubles on dismounts. All of it led to the Pink Rocks placing on the proper second.

Regardless of not with the ability to see the scores all through the meet primarily based on their location on the ground, Dockendorf mentioned she felt it was necessary to assemble her gymnasts round after the third rotation to assist them know that they’d taken the lead and assist them going into the ultimate occasion with some confidence.

“Clearly, we by no means need the women to deal with scores, however I believed it was necessary for them to know that we had bumped forward and we had been main going into that final rotation, as a result of I wished to offer them somewhat further confidence that we weren’t trailing, did not have to push tremendous exhausting on beam,” Dockendorf mentioned. “We simply have to exit and keep relaxed, and deal with doing Utah gymnastics like we all know how, and that was going to be an sufficient.”

However even with an honest lead, the 2 groups entered the ultimate occasion — every leads the convention of their remaining respective occasion — with all the pieces on the road. UCLA made some missteps once more, although, and had two gymnasts step out of bounds on tumbling passes on ground to offer Utah some room to breathe.

The Pink Rocks wanted a 9.875 rating on beam from Maile O’Keefe within the anchor place to win the meet, even with UCLA nonetheless having Nya Reed left to go on ground.

And like clockwork, O’Keefe delivered.

The fifth-year senior carried out an almost flawless routine and caught her touchdown, signaling to all in Pauley Pavilion that O’Keefe — and by extension, the Pink Rocks — could not be denied. Even with out the official choose scores, the Pink Rocks knew it was a successful routine.

With a 9.975 rating, O’Keefe’s beam efficiency made the win official.

“I feel it is actually necessary for us to do not forget that we’re able to doing that,” Dockendorf mentioned. “And simply to be right here in another person’s home and to nonetheless be capable to provide you with a victory towards a extremely, actually, unbelievable workforce, I feel it simply speaks volumes in regards to the power of Utah gymnastics this 12 months.”

That power shined by means of within the remaining two occasions, however the meet began something however properly outdoors of a leadoff 9.90 rating by Smith on bars.

After Smith’s nice begin, Alani Sabado simply missed the excessive bar on her first trick and landed on the mats under on her abdomen. Sabado finally received again on the bars however slipped off once more to attain an 8.600. Amelie Morgan, who leaves for a month to England after Monday’s meet, reset the momentum with a stable 9.875 rating, however the Pink Rocks may get no greater.

The Pink Rocks completed the primary occasion with a 49.200 with hopes of a greater subsequent occasion.

And although there weren’t related errors, the Pink Rocks could not acquire a lot momentum on vault and scored one other 49.200 as UCLA began to tug away after robust back-to-back opening occasions, together with a season-high 49.525 on vault that featured a ten.0 by Selena Harris.

Every little thing was going the Bruins’ method and the Pink Rocks had no solutions till that third rotation.

“I feel that we had a little bit of a gradual begin on our first two occasions, however what I actually preferred was that this workforce by no means gave up, they usually simply fought all the way in which to the top,” Dockendorf mentioned. “We did not let a rating have an effect on us and simply sort of surrender halfway by means of; we simply stored doing our gymnastics and we stayed targeted on us, and I feel we truly turned it up a notch as soon as we received to ground and simply carried over to beam.”

Staff scores:

No. 4 Utah

• Bars: 49.200
• Vault: 98.400 (49.200)
• Ground: 147.900 (49.500)
• Beam: 197.250 (49.350)

No. 9 UCLA

• Vault: 49.525
• Bars: 98.825 (49.300)
• Beam: 147.700 (48.875)
• Ground: 196.975 (49.275)

Pink Rocks scores

1st Rotation: Bars (49.200)

• Makenna Smith: 9.900
• Alani Sabado: 8.600
• Amelie Morgan: 9.875
• Ella Zirbes: 9.800
• Maile O’Keefe: 9.775
• Grace McCallum: 9.850

2nd Rotation: Vault (49.200)

• Camie Winger: 9.800
• Ella Zirbes: 9.750
• Ashley Glynn: 9.850
• Makenna Smith: 9.825
• Jaedyn Rucker: 9.825
• Amelie Morgan: 9.900

third Rotation: Ground (49.500)

• Makenna Smith: 9.825
• Ella Zirbes: 9.875
• Abby Paulson: 9.900
• Jaylene Gilstrap: 9.900
• Grace McCallum: 9.925
• Maile O’Keefe: 9.900

4th Rotation: Beam (49.350)

• Amelie Morgan: 9.750
• Makenna Smith: 9.825
• Liz Gantner: 9.800
• Grace McCallum: 9.875
• Abby Paulson: 9.925
• Maile O’Keefe: 9.975

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