If the UA gymnastics team was facing anyone but Arizona State tonight, it might be termed as anticlimactic.

The eighth-ranked Wildcats (24-4 overall, 9-3 in Pacific 10 Conference) will follow up a third-place finish at the Pac-10 Championships last weekend when they square off with the Sun Devils (13-4, 8-3) at 7:30 p.m. at McKale Center.

"There is going to be a little let-down following the Pac-10s last week, but we have to expect that," UA coach Jim Gault said. "But since ASU barely edged us last week, a win would be a great finish to our regular season.

"Next season, we will be finishing with the Pac-10s like we do most seasons," Gault said. "I think both teams will be anxious to get this one over and rest for regionals."

While this meet won't have any bearing on the Pac-10 standings, Arizona could still use the meet to boost their Regional Qualifying Score (RQS). This score is formed taking the team's top six scores, dropping their high and low marks, and then averaging t he remaining four.

Once that score is determined, the top seven teams in each of the five geographical regions will compete to earn the right to head to the NCAA Championships.

"This particular year, it is nice that we can look at our season after Pac-10s and know we still have one more meet to improve our RQS," Gault said. "But we will also work on some things that we didn't do quite as well as we would have hoped in the Pac-10 s, mainly staying on the equipment."

The all-around lineup will consist of freshman Heidi Hornbeek and junior Tenli Poggemeyer. Hornbeek was named the Pac-10's All-Around Champion last weekend when she recorded a 39.5, with event scores of 9.875, 9.925, 9.85 and 9.85. Poggemeyer, still recov ering from a lower-back injury, finished 12th in the conference with a mark of 38.6.

Freshman Maureen Kealey will decide before the meet whether her arm will be well enough for her to perform on the bars, and therefore whether she can enter the all-around. Kealey, when healthy, has been Arizona's number two all-around competitor with her top score of 39.15 coming against Oregon State and Brigham Young.

"We would like to go out on a winning note, and beating ASU would make the rest before regionals a little more relaxing," Gault said.