Success with No. 5 Alabama goal for Arkansas gymnasts

Heather Elswick of Arkansas during her floor routine against Missouri Friday, Jan. 13, 2017 at Barnhill Arena in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- If No. 23 Arkansas is going to continue its modest regular season winning streak over No. 5 Alabama, the Razorbacks will probably have to deliver their best performance of the young season tonight at Barnhill Arena.

Arkansas (0-3, 0-2 SEC) will try to extend its two-meet regular-season streak against the Crimson Tide (1-2, 1-1) tonight at 7:30.

GYMNASTICS

No. 23 Arkansas vs. No. 5 Alabama

WHEN 7:30 p.m.

WHERE Barnhill Arena, Fayetteville

RECORDS Alabama 1-2, 1-1 SEC; Arkansas 0-3, 0-2 SEC

SERIES Alabama leads 31-4-1

COACHES Mark Cook (15th year at Arkansas); Dana Duckworth (3rd year at Alabama)

TV SEC Network

EVENTS Vault: No. 5 Alabama 49.192, No. 24 Arkansas 48.817; Bars: No. 7 Alabama 49.242, No. 49 Arkansas 48.2; Beam: No. 2 Alabama 49.408, No. 18 Arkansas 48.892; Floor: No. 7 (tie) Alabama 49.167, No. 21 Arkansas 48.9.

TOP GYMNASTS (Top 100)

VAULT No. 22 (tie) Nickie Guerrero (Ala.) 9.867, No. 29 (tie) Wynter Childers (Ala.) 9.85, No. 43 (tie) Sydney McGlone (Ark.) 9.842, No. 48 (tie) Keely McNeer (Ala.) 9.833, No. 52 (tie) Abby Armbrecht (Ala.) 9.825, No. 67 (tie) Kiana Winston (Ala.) 9.813, No. 72 (tie) Braie Speed (Ark.) 9.808, No. 99 (tie) Katie Bailey (Ala.) 9.792.

BARS No. 2 (tie) Winston (Ala.) 9.925, No. 28 (tie) Bailey (Ala.) 9.858, No. 32 (tie) Shea Mahoney (Ala.) 9.85, No. 54 (tie) Mackenzie Brannan (Ala.) and Amanda Jetter (Ala.) 9.825, No. 73 (tie) McNeer (Ala.) 9.817.

BEAM No. 5 (tie) Guerrero (Ala.) and Aja Sims (Ala.) 9.9, No. 8 Winston (Ala.) 9.892, No. 14 (tie) Maddie Desch (Ala.) 9.875, No. 67 (tie) Mary Lillian Sanders (Ala.) 9.813, No. 81 (tie) Jessica Yamzon (Ark.) 9.8.

FLOOR No. 10 (tie) Winston (Ala.) 9.917, No. 20 (tie) Sims (Ala.) 9.875, No. 32 (tie) Guerrero (Ala.) 9.863, No. 59 (tie) Ariana Guerra (Ala.) 9.842.

ALL-AROUND No. 6 Winston (Ala.) 39.55, No. 72 (tie) Yamzon (Ark.) 38.717.

NOTEWORTHY Arkansas edged Alabama 196.375 to 196.175 in their last meeting at Barnhill Arena before a crowd of 3,164 in 2015. Arkansas had two falls and the Crimson Tide had three falls on the beam in that meet. … The Crimson Tide will take on Auburn in Birmingham, Ala., on Sunday.

The Razorbacks, who have been struggling on the uneven bars, are looking for bigger scores from their role players and from freshman all-arounder Jessica Yamzon after losing at Georgia last week.

"Thank God our sport isn't really measured by wins and losses," Arkansas Coach Mark Cook said. "In our conference, you'll find five or six teams in the top 10 [six in the top 12] in the country, so our schedule is one of the hardest schedules in the country.

"We don't really pay attention to our wins and losses. Our scores are really what we focus on, because they rank us nationally. But it doesn't mean we like to win."

Arkansas downed the Crimson Tide by 0.2 points here in 2015, then upset them 196.7 to 196.4 in Tuscaloosa, Ala., last season.

Arkansas sophomore Syndey McGlone is coming off a big performance at Georgia, with an event-winning 9.9 on the balance beam, a 9.875 on the vault, and a 9.825 on the floor exercise.

The Crimson Tide have displayed a deep roster for third-year Coach Dana Duckworth, who will tinker with her lineup tonight because Alabama will turn around and face Auburn on Sunday in Birmingham, Ala.

"For Arkansas, we're looking at the status of where their program is right now and I think it's a good opportunity to use some different faces and see how they handle the pressure," Duckworth said.

Alabama won its first meet of the season last week at Missouri with a season-high 197.225 after falling to current No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 2 LSU the first two weekends.

Sports on 01/27/2017