Quizzy Mondays 2025-26 Week 26: University Challenge Preliminary Quarter-Final 2, Only Connect Third Place Play-Off

Hello my friends, and welcome to another Quizzy Monday! The penultimate with the classic 2010s line-up of UC and OC, the latter of which ends next week. Just in time for Mastermind to return to regular shows as well, fittingly; unsure whether we'll be getting OC repeats in between it and UC like two years ago or some different programme like that chess show last year. Or neither. Anyway, on with tonight's festivities, beginning with UC...

 

U.C.L. got here with two solid performances and wins, firstly a close win over SOAS in a high scoring first round match, and then a more comfortable 190-85 win over Lincoln in the second round before Christmas. They were unchanged from those two games:

Zak Lakota-Baldwin, from London, studying Science and Technology Studies

Alice Lee, from Kendal, studying Russian and Post-Soviet Politics

Captain: Michael Doherty, from Derry, studying Optical Communications

Manny Campion-Dye, from Bath, studying Philosophy

 

Merton College Oxford also got here with two comfortable wins and good performances, firstly beating Durham in the first round, and then, just two weeks ago, they beat Churchill of Cambridge 180-115 to get here tonight. They were also the same quartet as both previous matches:

Ciaran Duncan, from High Wycombe, studying English Literature

Eveline Ong, from Singapore, studying Maths and Philosophy

Captain: Elliot Cosnett, from Hatton in Warwickshire, studying History

Verity Fleetwood-Law, from Amersham, studying English and French

 

The match got off to a very strange start, and both sides lost five on the first two starters, allowing the opposition to pick up and take all three bonuses, before Merton then impressively made it nine bonuses out of nine for the night. They also took the first picture round, but the run ended there as they took none of the bonuses; nonetheless, they led 55-20. Two starters in a row allowed U.C.L. to pull level, only for Merton to pull away again. But a penalty followed by the Londoners taking the next starter saw the lead change hands again. The music round went to Merton though, meaning they'd taken the lead back, 80-70.

 

The match then became very nip and tuck indeed, and U.C.L. retook the lead with the next starter, Merton drew level with the next, only for U.C.L. to take the next to pull away again! The second picture round went to Merton, and one bonus gave them the lead back, 110-105. One starter later, the Londoners led again; one starter after that, it was Merton back in front! Finally Merton made it two starters in a row, and a full house of bonuses put them within sight of the win. But back came U.C.L., two starters in a row, one bonus from both sets, and they were level again! Next starter would probably win it; Mr Cosnett took it for Merton... and that was the gong! Merton won 160-150!

 

A great contest between two very good, well matched teams; very well played both! Well done Merton, and best of luck in the qualifying matches! Hard lines to U.C.L., but they're most definitely not out yet; best of luck to them in the eliminators!

 

The stats: Mr Cosnett was, again, the best buzzer of the night, with five, while Mr Doherty was best for U.C.L. with three. On the bonuses, U.C.L. managed 13 out of 27 (with one penalty) and Merton 15 out of 27 (with three penalties), so it really was just two extra bonuses that won it for them.

 

Next week's match: Darwin vs Sheffield, followed, we can safely presume, by Imperial vs Warwick the week after

 

Only Connect’s always eagerly anticipated third place play-off was contested by the Metrophiles, who defeated the Grapevines, the Showstoppers and the Whitley Baes before losing to the 5ks in their semi-final, and the Worker Bees, who’s run so far saw them beat the Scanners, the Benchwarmers and the Doctors Matthews, but lose to the Pitchers twice.

 

I don’t think we get any questions close to right in the first round; the teams were tied 4-all at the end of it. I claim two points on the ABC question in the second round (albeit I got the third clue wrong) and three on the rainbow mnemonic question; the Metrophiles led 9-6 after that.

 

The Metrophiles went first on the Walls, and found two groups, but not the other two in their three goes; they did get the connections for the two groups they got, so four points. The Bees found one connection, but didn’t get any others in the allotted time; they did get two of the connections, so three points, which meant they trailed 13-9 going into Missing Vowels.

 

Next week's match: the final! Between the Pitchers and the 5ks; best of (retrospective) luck to both, hopefully a good end to the series! 

 

Quick mention to tonight’s Celebrity Mastermind; I don’t normally cover that, but I have to give mention to a three-way tie! Three contenders finished on 14 points and no passes! I don’t believe we’ve ever had something like that on the regular series; do let us know if you know of such an occasion.

 

And that's it for another week! Thanks as ever for reading; next week, it's the OC final! I wouldn't say this has been the best series of OC I've covered on the blog, but it's been a perfectly acceptable one; hopefully, again, it'll get the strong ending it deserves. And then, the week after, regular Mastermind will be back; whether I'll do fuller reviews of it again to make up for no OC, I haven't decided yet, we'll see how I feel when the time comes. Anyway, be back same time same place next week with my usual write-ups, so, see yous then...