University Challenge 2022-23: Round 2: Match 5: University vs Jesus

Good evening again friends, and welcome back to Quizzy Mondays! This might be a slightly shorter blog than usual tonight, as my wrist is a bit stiff after spending the half hour before the show trying to quickly do the next update of the current Robot Wars Wiki tournament. But anyway, we're halfway through the second round, and whoever won tonight would take the fifth place in the second round.

University College Oxford were comfortable winners over the L.S.E. in their first match, leading almost throughout and winning in the end 175-110. They were unchanged from that game: 

Alex Wallop, from London, studying Chemistry

Leah Fogarty, from Hertfordshire, studying Biomedical Sciences

Captain: Enzo Cunanan, from Orlando, Florida, studying History 

Alice Chakraborty, from London, studying Classics and English 

 

Jesus College Cambridge beat another Oxford team, St Catherine's, in their first round contest, also leading throughout and winning by a very strong margin of 225-105, the second highest score of the round. They were also the same four as before: 

Josh Kaye, from North West London, studying Maths

Juliet Tindall, from Birmingham, studying Spanish and Portuguese

Captain: Hamish MacGregor, from Cambridge, studying Cancer Genetic Epidemiology

Sumit Aggarwal, from London, studying Engineering

 

So, off we set once again then, and Mr Aggarwal quickly set Jesus off the mark first, but a bonus set on words associated with British soap operas didn't give them any extra points (though they came close on a couple of them). A second starter to the Cambridge side, from Mr MacGregor, gave them a bonus set more to their liking, which they took two from, before another from Mr Kaye was followed up by another pair of bonuses. The first picture starter was missed by both teams; the bonuses, on musical modes, went to Jesus, who drew another blank, but nonetheless still led 60-0.

And up both their score and their lead kept going, as Mr Aggarwal took the next starter, and the one after that as well; just one bonus followed from both sets, but, given how they were dominating procedings at this point, it didn't really matter. Mr Cunanan finally got University off the mark with a starter and two bonuses, before taking a second in a row for the Oxford side, but this time they got nothing from a bonus set on Scottish counties. They did also take the music round, on classial works with parts for children's choruses; no bonuses followed again, but they had at least reduced the gap to 90-35.

Mr MacGregor took the next starter for Jesus though, but, again they struggled with the bonuses, just one on writer Kate Millett. Ms Chakraborty took another University, but they also took just a single bonus, and then lost those points to a penalty. Mr Aggarwal quickly pushed Jesus further ahead with the next starter, and, yep, just one bonus on director Sarah Gavron was added to their score. The Cambridge side did also take the second picture round though, on early computer scientists, and the bonuses finally fell for them, a full set, which took their lead to 145-45.

It was pretty much game over, unless University could get a run of starters and the bonuses fell for them. Mr Cunanan did take another starter for them, but another sole bonus ended their chances of a late fightback. Mr MacGregor confirmed this for sure by taking the next starter; just one bonus followed again, but it mattered not by now. University did take the final two starters of the game, but the bonuses didn't go their way again, just one out of the six. And that was the gong; Jesus won 160-85.

Another rather slow and tough contest, with both teams struggling somewhat on the bonuses, but still a decent enough watch. Well done to Jesus, another strong showing on the buzzer from them, and their status as one of the favourites for this series still very much intact; best of luck to them in the QFs! Hard lines to University College, who were just outplayed on the buzzer there, but thanks very much to them for playing!

The stats: Messrs MacGregor, Aggarwal and Cunanan were the joint best buzzers of the night, with four each for their respective teams. On the bonuses, University managed 5 out of 21 (with two penalties) and Jesus 12 out of 30.

Next week's match: again, don't know, will let you know when I do.

Only Connect continued the quarter-finals with Mothers Ruined vs the Morporkians. The latter led 3-1 after the first round, and 5-3 after the second. A better wall allowed Mothers Ruined to pull level on 10-each going into Missing Vowels, but the Morkporkians edged that to win 16-12.

 

Mastermind was won by James Davidson, who led after the specialist round and was ultimately a reasonably comfortable winner with 21, three ahead of second placed Caz Evans, with Marcus Deal third on 17 and Katie Eliot completing the line-up with 13.

 

Counterpoint was a very close contest which went right down to a tie-breaker, with Dave Workmen beating Josh Cleary on that to secure the fourth place in the semi-final line-up.