Alabama Scores Big to Beat Georgia in Power of Pink Meet

The Crimson Tide puts up its best score of the season with a huge floor score to win on a special night inside Coleman Coliseum.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama couldn't have asked for a much better night to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Power of Pink. 

In front of an energetic Coleman Coliseum crowd, the Crimson Tide put up its highest score of the season in a dominant 198.075-196.975 to beat rival Georgia. 

Alabama held a sizable lead heading into the final rotation and put up the highest floor score in program history at a 49.700 with every gymnast scoring a 9.9 or higher. Gabby Gladieux capped the rotation with a career-high 9.975. 

Two meets in one week and a short turnaround didn't seem to faze the Crimson Tide. Neither did the absence of fifth-year Makarri Doggette, who was injured in warmups. In its second meet of the week, the Crimson Tide crushed its previous best score by four tenths of a point. 

Luisa Blanco won the all-around with a 39.675. She was scored a tenth higher with the fourth perfect 10 of her career on the balance beam, but ultimately ended up with a 9.9 score on beam after a post-routine deduction for the routine running long. 

This big score will be important for Alabama's postseason seeding. Next up for the Crimson Tide is a trip to LSU on March 1. 

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How it happened...

(latest updates at the top)

UNOFFICIAL FINAL: Alabama 198.075, Georgia 196.975

Rotation 4- Alabama floor (49.750), Georgia beam (49.250)

Alabama floor lineup:

1. Mati Waligora- Great routine to start the rotation. Energy is super high in Coleman right now- 9.9

2. Ella Burgess- Maybe some deductions on her leaps, but it should be another good score for Alabama- 9.95 (career high)

3. Cam Machado- Should be another score 9.9 or higher for the Crimson Tide- 9.95

4. Lilly Hudson- She was a little out of control for the landing on both her tumbling passes, but as always, her Alabama-themed floor music gets the home crowd fully engaged- 9.925

5. Luisa Blanco- Really strong routine from Luisa. If there are deductions, they will likely come from the landing on her first tumbling pass- 9.95 

*This is enough for Alabama to secure the win and earn its first 198 of the season. 

6. Gabby Gladieux- Folks, that might have been a 10... It was close. One judge gave her a 10- 9.975

Alabama floor total: 49.750 (Highest floor score in program history)

Score after Rotation 3: Alabama 148.325, Georgia 147.725

• According to the broadcast, Blanco scored a 10 from her beam routine, but received a deduction for going over the time limit. Still, Alabama puts up its second-highest beam total of the season. 
• Alabama needs a 49.35 or higher to tie or surpass the season high score for the season. 

Rotation 3- Alabama balance beam (49.400), Georgia floor exercise (49.175)

Alabama beam lineup:

1. Lilly Hudson- A slight balance check on one of her leaps, but other than that, I didn't spot any major deductions. She ended the routine with a stuck dismount- 9.825 (some of her leaps must have been low, or there were other deductions I clearly couldn't see from my vantage point)

2. Mati Waligora- Solid routine. Had to take a step forward on her landing- 9.8

3. Ella Burgess- She was slightly off line in her connection series, but maintained her balance and pulled it off. Slightly hop on her dismount. Alabama not able to find the landings it was able to on bars so far- 9.825

4. Gabby Gladieux- She nearly comes off the beam on one of her skills, but manages to hang on. She finishes the routine with a stuck dismount- 9.9

5. Shania Adams- Really strong routine from Adams, who has struggled with falls on beam throughout her career. She ends her routine with a stuck landing- 9.95 (new season high and ties career high)

6. Luisa Blanco- Folks, that might be a 10... She scores a 9.9 much to the dismay of the crowd. I'm confused because it appeared that both judges initially put up 10s, but Ashley Johnston talked with the judges and now is holding a judges inquiry- 9.9

*According to the broadcast, Blanco scored a 10 from her routine, but received a deduction for going over the time limit. 

Alabama beam score: 49.400

Exhibition: Jamison Sears

BREAKING- Makarri Doggette is out for the rest of the meet and is being evaluated for a lower extremity injury. The injury occurred during warmups. She rejoined the team with a scooter and a boot on prior to the beam rotation. She is getting hugs from the coaching staff and her teammates.

Score after Rotation 2: Alabama 98.925, Georgia 98.550

• The Crimson Tide holds a comfortable lead at the halfway point. 

• Alabama shows once again why it is one of the best bars teams in the country, even without Doggette being able to contribute to the lineup. 

Rotation 2- Alabama bars (49.600) , Georgia vault (49.275)

Alabama bars lineup:

1. Gabby Gladieux- A few small mistakes throughout the routine, but she ends the routine with a stuck dismount- 9.85

2. Chloe LaCoursiere- She was maybe slightly short on one of her handstands, but another stuck dismount for Alabama- 9.9

3. Mati Waligora- Beautiful routine from Waligora and another stuck landing to continue a strong bars lineup for the Crimson Tide- 9.925

4. Shania Adams- And ANOTHER stuck dismount for Alabama. Alabama is picking up where it left up on bars from Monday's meet- 9.95

5. Luisa Blanco- A nearly flawless routine from Blanco, should be another high score- 9.95

6. Cam Machado- Machado overextends on her first handstand, but finishes with the sixth straight stuck dismount for Alabama- 9.875

Alabama bars total: 49.600 (ties season high for the third time)

Exhibition: Natalia Pawlak

Score after Rotation 1: Alabama 49.325, Georgia 49.275

• Something to watch moving forward. During the touch warmup, it was paused for an injury and then Makarri Doggette was scratched from the lineup. I don't see her out there with the team anymore, but I might just not be able to see well. We'll see if she is in the bars lineup or not. 

• Alabama ties its third-highest vault score of the season. 

• Georgia was able to drop its fall and finished strong on bars. 

Rotation 1- Alabama vault (49.325), Georgia uneven bars (49.275)

Alabama vault lineup

1. Karis German- Yurchenko full with a slight hop on the landing, but a solid start tot he rotation- 9.8

2. Lilly Hudson- Yurchenko 1.5 with a huge distance from the vault. Slight hop on the landing- 9.875

3. Chloe LaCoursiere- Huge Yurchenko 1.5 for LaCoursiere. She took a step forward on the landing- 9.825

4. Jamison Sears- Makarri Doggette was originally listed in the vault lineup, but it scratched for Sears, who performs a Yurchenko full. Alabama is still looking for a stuck landing on vault- 9.825

*The fourth Georgia gymnasts on bars falls, so Georgia will want to drop that score.

5. Luisa Blanco- Yurchenko 1.5 for Blanco, but another step on the landing- 9.875

6. Gabby Gladiuex- Alabama finally gets a stick. Gladieux sticks the landing on her Yurchnko full, which is a 9.95 start value. Her chest was down, so she will probably get deducted for that- 9.925 (season high)

Alabama vault total: 49.325

Exhibition: Corrine Bunagan

Pre-meet

• As the home team, Alabama's rotation order for the meet is: vault, uneven bars, balance beam, floor exercise. 

• The Alabama gymnasts are now being introduced alongside breast cancer survivors. 

• Members of the Alabama men's golf team are sitting down on the floor. 

• Since tonight's meet is streaming only, there will be exhibition routines on every event. 

• It looks like Alabama put about 1,000 pink shakers in seats tonight around the bottom rows of Coleman Coliseum. 

• Alabama will be debuting brand new leotards for the Power of Pink meet tonight. 

Tonight's ✨𝐍𝐄𝐖✨ look#FTF | #RollTide pic.twitter.com/MQKgdbW5BA

— Alabama Gymnastics (@BamaGymnastics) February 23, 2024

How to Watch: No. 10 Alabama vs. No. 18 Georgia

Who: No. 10 Alabama (8-2-1, 2-2-1 SEC) vs. No. 18 Georgia (1-5, 0-5 SEC)

When: Friday, February 23, 7 p.m. CT

Where: Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, Ala.

TV: SEC Network+

Last Meeting: The two teams last met in Athens in 2023 with the Crimson Tide coming away with a 197.525-197.325 road victory.

Last Time Out, Alabama: The Crimson Tide put up its best performance of the season in a quad meet at Texas Woman's University. Alabama scored a 197.675 to knock off Arkansas, Arizona and TWU.

Last Time Out, Georgia: The GymDogs scored above 197 with a 197.075 at home against LSU, but the Tigers won the meet. Georgia has scored above a 197 in three of its last four meets. 

Alabama Gymnastics Prepares to Celebrate 20th Annual Power of Pink Meet