Cats End Hot Streak with 196.250-196.000 Loss at Mizzou
COLUMBIA, Mo. – After stringing together three straight 197-point performances for the first time in program history, No. 10 Kentucky (5-6, 3-4 Southeastern Conference) ended its historic streak with a 196.250-196.000 loss at No. 16 Missouri (6-9, 2-5 SEC) on Friday night in its last regular-season conference meet of 2019.
“On a very interesting night in Columbia, the team stayed strong mentally by finishing with a 49.200 on beam and working their way to a hard-fought 196 score,” said UK head coach Tim Garrison. “We’ll put this one behind us and look forward to next week.”
Before concluding the night on beam, Kentucky began the contest with a 48.950 rotation on bars. The Wildcats moved onto vault next, locking down a 49.000. A 9.875 for Mollie Korth led the nation’s 10th-ranked vault team and earned her a 16th career win on the apparatus.
With a 48.950 on floor, Kentucky headed into the evening’s final event down 146.850-146.800. Balance beam proved to be the Cats’ strongest rotation at 49.200, as seniors Sidney Dukes and Alex Hyland split the victory via scores of 9.875. Missouri rallied on its final rotation, however, sealing the season’s first win over a top-10 opponent with a 49.400 total on floor.
UK is set to return home next weekend for the season’s final meet at Memorial Coliseum. Kentucky will take on No. 39 Central Michigan (11-1, 4-0 Mid-American Conference) on Friday, March 8 at 7 p.m. ET.
For the latest on the Kentucky gymnastics team, follow @UKGymnastics on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, as well as on the web at UKAthletics.com.
