This post was updated Jan. 9 at 10:14 p.m.

The Bruins did two things during the second half of Saturday’s meet.

The first: they posted their worst score on any beam rotation since March 2021.

The second: they posted the second-highest floor score of any team in the country on the opening weekend of NCAA gymnastics immediately following their beam rotation.

It was unique advice from senior Frida Esparza that allowed the team to maintain its energy and finish strong on floor, said junior Emma Malabuyo.

“Frida told us, ‘Have the mind of a goldfish,’” Malabuyo said. “You just forget what you did the last event and really stay in it.”

No. 12 UCLA gymnastics led at the halfway point of the Mean Girls Super 16 meet on Saturday, but a 48.450 on beam put it in last place – where it would eventually end with a 196.550 total behind No. 4 Alabama, No. 6 California and No. 11 Auburn. But within the beam and floor rotations, perseverance from the Bruins showed a positive indicator of what could come.

Before UCLA could finish strong on floor, it had to complete two more beam routines while knowing that its team was already counting a 9.150 from a fall by sophomore Ciena Alipio. Sophomore Selena Harris and Malabuyo were tasked to utilize the “goldfish mindset” to salvage the team score as much as possible.

Competing under duress, the duo performed their routines with hardly a wobble – their biggest deductions coming from short landings on their dismounts. The resulting pair of 9.800s allowed the Bruins to end their less-than-ideal rotation on a high note.

Malabuyo said Harris and her focus in practice allowed her to hit under pressure.

“After Selena hit her routine, that made me more confident,” Malabuyo said. “I’ve been hitting in practice and trusting my training, and I think that translates to the competition floor.”

But after completing their efforts on the beam, the floor rotation still stood between the Bruins and the culmination of the meet. With Esparza’s advice in mind, UCLA ultimately posted a final floor tally of 49.500 that featured four scores of 9.900 or higher, including a career-high 9.950 from junior Brooklyn Moors.

At the weekend’s conclusion, UCLA held the second-highest floor score in the country – just a quarter-tenth behind No. 5 LSU’s 49.525.

Junior Emily Lee, who scored a 9.800 on floor, said she was able to forget about her nerves and recenter her focus during her routine.

“Going big, being sharp, being dynamic, making sure that I allow my team to be as aggressive as I am,” Lee said. “Be solid so they can count on someone and they don’t have to be nervous when they go up.”

After overcoming early-season hiccups, the Bruins stand at No. 12 in the rankings with a chance to compete against the top two teams in the country next week in No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 2 Utah.

Coach Janelle McDonald said her attention has already been redirected to next week.

“We get back to the gym this week, and we work on the details,” McDonald said. “I think we have a lot of positives to take away from today.”