Cougars come up short at No. 13 Southern Utah

CEDAR CITY, Utah — Although BYU led at the end of two-consecutive rotations, No. 13 Southern Utah pulled away with a 194.825 to 194.450 victory Friday night at Centrum Arena.

“SUU is a very good team; they had mistakes and we had a chance to beat them,” BYU head coach Guard Young said. “I was really proud of our beam training this week and it showed in the meet. Everyone stayed on and that's a start for us.”

The Cougars earned a season-high score of 48.675 on beam in the meet. Freshman Shannon Hortman set a career-high 9.900 on floor while junior Mackenzie Douglas tied a career-high 9.875 on vault.

BYU started the night out on uneven bars, earning a 48.000 after two falls. Team captain Brittni Hawes led the Cougars with a 9.850 while Hortman posted a 9.775. Douglas and Natasha Trejo added a pair of 9.725s as well. Southern Utah finished the rotation in first place with a score of 48.950 to 48.000.

A strong performance on vault by the Cougars, combined with falls on bars by the Thunderbirds, gave BYU its first lead of the night, 96.825 to 96.750. Douglas tied her career-high 9.875 on vault, followed by Hortman’s 9.800. Jill van Mierlo and Angel Zhong both earned a 9.725 en route to an event score of 48.825. 

The Cougars earned a 48.950 on floor in the third rotation, led by Hortman’s career-high 9.900. Douglas, van Mierlo and Briana Pearson each recorded a 9.775 as BYU maintained its lead, 145.775 to 145.275 at the end of the rotation.

In the fourth and final rotation, the Cougars recorded a season-high 48.675 on beam, anchored by a 9.825 from van Mierlo. Trejo set a season-high 9.800 while Cheyenne Hill and Savanna Maradiaga both contributed a 9.725. Southern Utah earned a 49.550 on floor, pulling away with a victory, 194.825 to 194.450.

The Cougars return home to host No. 22 Iowa Friday, Feb. 24, at 7 p.m. MST in the Smith Fieldhouse. The game will be broadcast on BYUtv and live stats will be available.