Lexington, KY – Arizona State spoiled Kentucky’s highly anticipated “Excite Night” homecoming on Friday, handing the Wildcats a 195.750-194.325 defeat inside a sold-out Historic Memorial Coliseum. The loss marked Kentucky’s first defeat in their signature home-opening event since 2016, snapping a nearly decade-long streak. Despite a raucous crowd of 5,926 fans, the Wildcats (0-4) could not overcome a disastrous rotation on the balance beam, allowing the steady Sun Devils (2-1) to seize control of the meet and secure a decisive road victory.

➡️  Kentucky vs Arizona State photos

The evening began with promise for the Wildcats, who looked dominant early on. Kentucky posted a season-high 49.250 on vault, anchored by a spectacular performance from sophomore Anna Flynn Cashion. Cashion stuck her front handspring pike half vault to score a career-high-tying 9.950, claiming the event title and electrifying the home crowd. The momentum continued on the uneven bars, where the Wildcats tallied a 49.000, their best of the season. Junior Delaynee Rodriguez was a steadying force, contributing solid scores that kept Kentucky in the driver’s seat through the halfway point.

However, the meet turned dramatically during the third rotation. Kentucky’s lineup imploded on the balance beam, counting multiple falls in a rotation that yielded a fatal team score of 47.000. While Rodriguez managed to salvage some pride with a winning score of 9.850 in the anchor spot, the damage had been done. Four Wildcats suffered falls, effectively erasing the lead built during the first two events and opening the door for Arizona State to capitalize on the errors.

In contrast, Arizona State remained poised and consistent throughout the night. After a somewhat slow start on bars, the Sun Devils found their rhythm. Senior Kimberly Smith was instrumental in the comeback, winning the bars title with a 9.875 and finishing second in the all-around with a 39.300. Freshman Kylee Bromley and senior Kayla Lee also stepped up, tying Kentucky’s Rodriguez for the beam title with matching 9.850s. Their steadiness under pressure allowed ASU to post a season-high team score of 195.750.

Despite the disappointing team result, Delaynee Rodriguez continued to shine individually for Kentucky. The junior from Las Vegas claimed the all-around title with a score of 39.400, marking her fourth career all-around victory. She also secured event wins on floor (9.875) and beam, proving to be the night’s most resilient competitor. Her performance on the floor exercise was particularly notable, as she helped the team surpass the 49-point barrier on the event for the first time this season.

Looking ahead, both teams will try to build on Friday’s results as the season progresses. Arizona State heads home with significant momentum and a marquee road win, while Kentucky faces the challenge of regrouping after a winless start to the season. The Wildcats will need to address their consistency issues on beam if they hope to bounce back when they continue their campaign next week at LSU.