LOS ANGELES — The No. 6 UCLA gymnastics team keyed in on the intensity of floor exercise in the fourth and final rotation of the meet to pull off a comeback win over No. 5 Michigan State on Saturday afternoon.
A perfect 10.0 from Jordan Chiles’ high-flying, prince-themed routine sent the Bruins into a frenzy of celebration at a packed-out Pauley Pavilion and secured a 197.300-197.200 win.
Emma Malabuyo won first on balance beam and UCLA claimed the top four spots in floor exercise to hand Michigan State its first Big Ten loss of the season.
UCLA (6-2 overall, 3-0 Big Ten) was trailing by roughly one point heading into floor — an event that they rank second nationally in. Emily Lee made her season debut in the event and kicked off the team’s signature “floor party” with a 9.875.
The individual scores steadily climbed after that and each gymnast scored 9.900 or above. Brooklyn Moors and Chae Campbell each hit 9.975, which marked a career-high for Moors, to help boost UCLA to a nation-high 49.800 event score.
The 197.300 extends UCLA’s streak of scoring 197 or higher to four meets.
UCLA led early on but fell behind at the midway point of the meet, which was the first gymnastics meet to ever be televised nationally on FOX.
The fourth-ranked vault squad in the nation allowed Michigan State (5-2, 2-1) to take a 98.900-98.500 lead. Three out of six gymnasts recorded a 9.950 on vault for a 49.600 team score — which outdid the Bruins’ 49.350.
Chiles scored a team-best 9.925 on vault but had a major deduction on uneven bars that hurt UCLA’s overall event score. No gymnasts surpassed a 9.850, which resulted in a season-low team score of 49.150.
Chiles recovered from the uncharacteristic performance on bars to hit a sharp routine on balance beam. She scored a 9.850 in her second competitive appearance of the season in the event.
Ciena Alipio’s score suffered a deduction when she fell on beam before calmly resuming the choreography with a side leg extension. Malabuyo was the next and final competitor on the apparatus, and her experience showed.
The Philippines Olympian danced next to the beam while waiting for her cue to perform, then delivered a 9.925 score to anchor the Bruins and get them to a 49.00 event score.
The Spartans held a 148.200-147.500 advantage after three rotations, putting UCLA into a hole that it dug itself out of.
The Bruins are next on the road at Washington on Feb. 7 before returning to Pauley Pavilion for a Valentine’s Day matchup against Penn State.