Toni Peterson?s clutch performance on the balance beam secured a Sacramento State gymnastics team victory over Causeway rival, University of California, Davis Saturday at Recreation Hall.

The Hornets? 190.850-190.275 win at Davis was the team?s closest contested match of the season.

Peterson finished with a meet-high 38.750 points in the all-around competition and was instrumental in helping the Hornets? crack at the 190-point barrier for the first time this season.

“Coming into the competition, we trained extremely hard,” Peterson said. “But mentally, we knew we had to focus on nailing our routines.”

The Hornets found early success on the bars, posting a solid 48.475 score. Peterson led all competitors with a bar score of 9.775.

On the vault, sophomore Binta Coleman led the Hornets with a meet-high 9.725. Coleman also took third place in the all-around. Senior Lara Goold finished second on vault with an impressive 9.70 score.

While the Hornets turned up the pressure on the vault, Davis struggled on bars, recording its lowest score of the competition, 46.275.

After two of four rotations, the Hornets seemed to take control of the competition with a 96.775-93.875 lead.

Freshman Stephanie Aeder finished with a 9.825 on the floor competition, performing one of the event?s better executed routines. Jenny Diamond also recorded a solid mark of 9.775 to help keep the Hornets in the top position going into the fourth and final rotation.

The Hornets went up 145.30-141.350.

With its strongest events behind them and Davis? strongest event forthcoming (floor), Sac State?s coach Kim Hughes was slightly concerned going into the final rotation having to finish on beam.

“It?s just like I tell everyone, beam is beam,” Hughes said. “You never know what?s going to happen.”

The Hornets struggled on the beam, recording their lowest score of the competition, 45.55.

“Davis always has their best meets against us,” Hughes said. “Not to mention we had three injuries on the beam: Melissa Prescott, Wendy Baisdon, and Karen Sorenstem.”

“We had to replace the three seniors with freshman.”

The all-around leader, Peterson, delivered a 9.75 on beam, which helped stopped the bleeding.

“I knew the score was getting closer,” Peterson said. “I thought to myself, just relax, I?ve done this a thousand times.”

Coleman also delivered at an opportune time, notching the Hornets? second best beam performance scoring a 9.275. “I wasn?t thinking about the score, I was just thinking about performing a good solid routine,” said Coleman. “And fortunately, it was enough.”

In the end, the Hornets were able to withstand a vicious floor assault by Davis to get the victory.

“I think the score was a little bit closer than we all thought,” Hughes said. “But fortunately we were able to hold on for the victory.”

Coach Hughes, a Davis alumnus, was extremely pleased with the victory.

“It?s always nice to come back to your alma mater and win.”

Next, the Hornets will host Boise State on Sunday, Feb 10, at 2 p.m. in the team?s home opener at Hornet Gym.