Quizzy Mondays 2024-25 Week 22: University Challenge R2M6, Only Connect Quarter-Final 2

Good evening again my friends, and welcome back to the still depleted Quizzy Monday! Yep, still no regular Mastermind, another celeb edition tonight, though I believe next week's is the last one, so we can expect the regular series back on February the 3rd. So, as we're again a bit short here, I'll again mention yesterday's Counterpoint, and an amusing incident where all three contenders ended up tied on the same score at the end of the first round! A three-way tie-breaker was asked to determine their answering order for the second round, and all three were way off! But we got the answering order nonetheless. Anyway, that's enough filler; on with normal business, beginning with UC...

 

Christ's College Cambridge beat Exeter College Oxford in their first match, leading throughout, but not pulling away comfortably until near the end, winning 205-110. They were unchanged from that previous game:

Anniko Firman, from The Hague, studying Classics

Brendan Bethlehem, from North London, studying Linguistics

Captain: Oscar Despard, from Dublin, studying Biochemistry

Linus Luu, from Orpington, studying Maths

 

St Edmund Hall Oxford were winners of a close first round match against SOAS, which they won with a well-timed sprint at the end, 195-155 their winning score. They were also the same foursome as before:

Jeffrey Liu, from Cambridge, Massachusetts, studying Politics

Robert Elkington, from Newton Abbot, studying Russian and Linguistics

Captain: Sophia Bursey, from Stroud, studying English

Daisy Pendergast, from Jersey, studying Biochemistry

It was a well matched start with the two sides taking a starter and one bonus each, before Christ's pulled away with three starters in a row, including the first picture starter; after the first picture round, they led 75-15. Another two starters took the Cambridge side into three figures, but a penalty allowed St Edmund Hall back into the game, and they duly took a full bonus set, not waiting for AR to finish the (very long) questions in doing so! They also took the music round; after that, they'd cut the gap to 110-75.

A third starter in a row cut the gap to 20, but Christ's reawoke and took two starters in a row, though only one bonus went with them. St Edmund Hall took the second picture round, but they too got nothing from the bonuses; after that, they trailed 135-100. That was as far as they could get though, as Christ's duly ran away with the final quarter again, taking the remaining starters and the bonuses fell for them again well, giving them a winning margin that, again, belied how close the game was for the most part. At the gong, Christ's won 215-100.

Another enjoyable contest that was, as I said, closer than the final scores suggest. Well done Christ's, another solid victory, and best of luck in the QFs! Hard lines to St Edmund Hall, who were very much in the game until that final quarter, but a respectable performance, thanks for playing!

The stats: Messrs Bethlehem and Despard were joint best buzzers of the night with four each, while Mr Elkington was best for St Edmund Hall with three. On the bonuses, Christ's managed an OK 20 out of 35 (with the night's one penalty) and St Edmund Hall 8 out of 18.

Next week's match: Cardiff vs Queen's Belfast

Only Connect’s second quarter-final was between the Al Frescans, who beat the Midlanders and the Hopsters, but lost to last week’s runners-up the Sprouters in the earlier rounds, and the Four Opinions, who got here undefeated by beating the Bean Farmers and last week’s winners the Cat Cows.

 

I claim the same three points as the Opinions on the first question of the show about losing on purpose (it helped that I was watching the Simpsons episode where Krusty bets on the Generals only yesterday!); my Mum claims the same three as them on the Magna Carta question and I claim another three on the vegetables question. The Opinions led 6-4 at the end of that round. I claim two points on the Joes question on the second round, and another two on the PM’s books question; the Opinions led 8-6 at the end of that.

 

The Frescans went first on the Walls and solved all four sets, but dropped one of the connections, so seven points. The Opinions made no mistake, getting all four sets and connections for a perfect ten, so increasing their lead to 18-13 going into Missing Vowels. And they maintained their advantage in a pretty well matched final round, ultimately winning 24-18. Well done them, and best of luck in the semis, and thanks to the Frescans for playing!

 

Next week’s match: the Bloomsbury Group vs the Crunchers

 

And that's it for another shorter week. As I said, last celeb Mastermind next week, so we'll be back to a full line-up in two weeks' time. We hope. Anyway, thanks as ever for reading; see yous again same time same place next week...