COLUMBIA, Mo. — A season-high performance and a roaring home crowd were not enough for No. 7 Missouri on Friday night, as the Tigers fell 197.675–197.500 to No. 2 LSU in the Friday Night Heights matchup at Mizzou Arena.
In front of 5,164 fans, Missouri pushed one of the nation’s top teams to the final routine, delivering one of its most complete meets of the season against an LSU squad coming off a program-record performance. The loss marked Missouri’s third straight top-three opponent, continuing a demanding stretch of SEC competition.
LSU entered Columbia fresh off a school-best 198.050 score against Kentucky and once again showcased its depth across all four events. The Baton Rouge Tigers outscored Missouri on vault, bars and floor, but Missouri answered with one of its strongest beam rotations of the season, outshining LSU on the event.
Missouri opened the meet on vault, highlighted by Railey Jackson’s stuck one-and-a-half vault, which earned a 9.950 and sparked the loudest reaction of the opening rotationThis was the result of months of preparation paying off under pressure.
“It’s been a long time in the making,” Jackson said. “I’ve put in a lot of work, and I’ve stuck it plenty of times in practice. It was just about doing it in competition.”
Kennedy Griffin followed with a steady leadoff score, but LSU responded immediately on uneven bars with three 9.900-plus routines to establish an early edge.
Despite the deficit, Missouri delivered one of its most consistent bar rotations of the season, an event that has historically limited the Tigers’ scoring potential. The improved execution kept Missouri within striking distance as the meet moved to the beam.
This event proved to be a turning point for the black and gold. Beam All-American Addison Lawrence delivered a 9.950 and Lauren Macpherson scored the same. The Tigers posted a 49.400 on the event, needing more momentum late in the meet.
LSU maintained an advantage through three rotations, building a 0.175 cushion behind strong floor work from All-American Amari Drayton and a lineup that consistently stayed above the 9.900 mark.
Missouri closed the night on floor exercise, its signature event, and the atmosphere reflected it. Kaia Tanskanen added a 9.900 to keep the pressure on LSU, but the visitors answered with composed routines down the beam, with Kailin Chio making a mark with a 9.975. The crowd reached its loudest point of the evening during Kennedy Griffin’s routine, which earned a 9.925, followed immediately by an equally electric performance from Hannah Horton, who matched the score. Missouri made its final push.
LSU finished with a 49.550 on beam to seal the meet, while Missouri posted a 49.475 in the final rotation. They were strong, but just short of completing the comeback.
The victory extended LSU’s all-time series lead to 23–5, though Missouri has now pushed the Tigers in three straight meetings in Columbia. Missouri’s 197.500 marked its highest score of the season and further established the Tigers as a legitimate contender in the SEC.
Despite the narrow loss, head coach Shannon Welker emphasized growth and resilience within a young lineup.
“We have a couple uncharacteristic errors in there, but we also have a young team,” Welker said. “They are getting better every weekend, as is our scores.”
Missouri’s performance against another top-two opponent further reinforced its ability to contend in the SEC, particularly on beam and floor, two events where the Tigers showcased poise under pressure for a big stage and strong crowd.
Welker also noted the broader implications of the performance beyond the final score.
“The crazy thing is that we will take a loss tonight, but we will go up in the rankings,” Welker said following the meet.
Missouri will remain at home for another top-tier challenge, hosting No. 3 Florida at Mizzou Arena on Friday, Feb. 6. The meet is scheduled for 8 p.m. CST and will air nationally on ESPN2
The LSU Tigers soon to host Penn State in Baton Rouge at the Maravich Center on Friday, Feb. 6. The matchup against the Nittany Lions will be broadcast on SEC Network+ at 8 p.m. CST.