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The 18th ranked Pioneers posted their highest team score in a road dual meet in program history, but No. 8 Alabama finished with a 195.675-195.225 victory.

With the loss, the Pioneers drop to 2-1 in the season.

Denver started the night on the bars without any hesitation, despite Alabama’s large crowd. Junior Michelle Kasuga led the Pioneers on the apparatus by scoring a 9.80.

Freshman Jessica Kennedy also gave the Pioneers a good start; she tied her season-best score with a 9.75.

Denver then made its way over to the vault, where they posted the best team score of the season.

All-American Ashley Shible once again led the Pioneers on the apparatus as she scored a 9.9, tying with Alabama’s Kristen Sterner for top honors.

Two other Pioneers set personal highs at the meet. Senior Jill Gunter scored her season-best with a 9.775, and Kennedy scored her’s with a 9.775.

Despite Denver’s strong efforts, they trailed behind Alabama after two rotations by 98.350-97.525.

The third event for the team was the floor exercise.

Denver posted a noteworthy five solid scores on the floor, led by Kasuga’s 9.8 and Shible’s 9.775. Sophomore Emily Bankhead tied with Shible, posting her season-best score of a 9.775.

Denver finished the night on the balance beam, yet their struggle to catch up to the Crimson Tide remained.

But the Pioneers remained strong as senior Melanie Schiff scored her season best of 9.875. Shible and Kasuga also both scored a 9.8 to add to Denver’s efforts.

“I’m just very proud of how our athletes did tonight,” Head Coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart said. “I thought the crowd here was fantastic, really supportive of both teams and the girls seemed to feed off the energy of the crowd.”

“We came here because we think that we need the experience of competing in front of seven thousand people and I am really pleased with how we came out of this meet.”

“We were down an important gymnast tonight and to still come within .45 of one of the top teams in the country on their home floor is really something,”said Kutcher-Rinehart.

The gymnasts return to action on Sunday as they wrapsup their three-week road trip at No. 14 Stanford at 2 p.m.

You can see the Pioneers at home again in Hamilton Gymnasium on Friday Feb. 8 at 7:00 p.m.

They will face off against Texas Women’s University in high hopes of defeating yet another rival.