Best Quizbowl game of all time?

[Jonty]

What was the best Quizbowl game of all time?

[Somewhere in the Stratosphere]

Barrington vs Buffalo Grove in the 2024 HSNCT semis has to be up there. Trailing 395-355 out of a Buffalo Grove timeout, and down to the very last cycle of the game, Rohan Kher did Rohan Kher things and powered the last question, leading to Barrington doing Barrington things and 30ing the bonus to win 400-395. Barrington would go on to win the title in a two-game advantaged final against St. Mark's, while Buffalo Grove would suffer a second consecutive crushing loss by the same score, 400-395 to Livingston.

Stats from the aforementioned game:
Barrington: 8/3/2, 140 points, 260 BPts with 11 BHrd, 23.64 PPB
Buffalo Grove: 5/7/0, 145 points, 250 BPts with 12 BHrd, 20.83 PPB

Barrington
Azura Gollamudi (12) - 1/0/0
Rohan Kher (12) - 5/1/1
Charles Young (12) - 2/2/1
William Yao (10) - 0/0/0

Buffalo Grove
Rohan Ganeshan (12) - 5/7/0
Alexandra Kolodnikov (11) - 0/0/0
Jack Omansky (12) - 0/0/0
Daniel Potapo (11) - 0/0/0
Anthony Safonov (11) - 0/0/0

[High Dependency Unit]

We don't have individual stats from the game (noting that TJ A used and swapped pseudonyms on a game-by-game basis) but it's almost inarguably the TJ - Lakeside (WA) HSNCT final in 2005. This was the closest anyone came to beating TJ all tournament, after TJ previously beat Lakeside 655-155 and 760-30 (and scored 885 points in a single playoff match against Walton (GA)!) TJ negged 10 times, spotted Lakeside a 300-ish point lead, took a 5-point lead on tossup 24 of 26, and won 415-325.

I would also mention Hunter's win over TJ at the 2016 HSNCT. TJ made the final by beating DCC on a very tight (maybe controversial) timing call. Hunter wasn't expected to be anywhere near the final. TJ led 360-350 after 24 tossups, but Hunter had a response ruled acceptable after protesting that they should have been prompted on a chemistry bonus. They then swept the tiebreaker and ran out of the room to catch their flight home.

[Cheynem]

The finals of CO Trash 2016.

[quizbowlcaptain]

https://www.naqt.com/stats/tournament/g ... _id=846419

This was Plano West A's first ever HSNCT. This game, all though not the close nail-biting final we all hope for, just shows how good this team was. They didn't just beat Hunter, this was a blowout. A blowout in the final of HSNCT from a team that has never been to nationals before is unheard of. Side note- I love it when right before half, they get tide pod bonuses and the last one is LD50 and one of their players screams, "HALF LIFE" and they get it.

[The Stately Rhododendron]

My two favorite games of mine.

https://www.naqt.com/stats/tournament/g ... _id=320136

This game brought us the moniker of being "the most unpredictable team in quizbowl." We were down by a bunch and needed to sweep, power, and 30 3 straight questions to win...and we did.

Plus the 2018 ict yale/Berkley series.

[meebles127]

My two favorite games of mine.

https://www.naqt.com/stats/tournament/g ... _id=320136

This game brought us the moniker of being "the most unpredictable team in quizbowl." We were down by a bunch and needed to sweep, power, and 30 3 straight questions to win...and we did.

Plus the 2018 ict yale/Berkley series.

I'm quite fond of "he didn't even get tenure!"

[Oscario]

The 2019 BSQC final (as seen by quite a lot of people on youtube) is a very good one. High-scoring, fast buzzes, goes back and forth quite a bit. The 2020 finals seem similarly tense although they had the misfortune of relying on two protest resolutions.

[joshxu]

https://www.naqt.com/stats/tournament/g ... id=1078868

Semifinals of the online 2021 HSNCT between Barrington and TJ A. TJ leads 310–270 going into tossup 20. Barrington powers it, then gets the first two parts of the bonus to pull within 5, but fails to pull the hard part for an apparent 310-305 loss. But Barrington had a 10-point protest on an earlier bonus part, where the mod had misread "Roman" as "Russian". The protest is upheld. Since they 20ed the original bonus, they need to 30 the replacement to win the game. They do just that, and go on to win both legs of a disadvantaged final to win HSNCT.

I guess I'll also shout out my own personal favorite haha: https://www.naqt.com/stats/tournament/g ... _id=959587
I don't have the scoresheet on me anymore, but I trailed by something like 155-(-5) after 5, 250-70 at the half, and 305-155 after 15. It's 305-250 going into tossup 19. I power it and proceed to 0 the ensuing trash bonus, putting me down 40 going into the last cycle, which I power-30. Our final statlines were identical, except that I powervulched their neg while they waited to the end on mine.

[a Joe]

While the LIQBA has had many epic games in its history, two stand out:

One is from the finals of the Mayflower Cup III: January, where Lexington faced off against Belmont in the finals. This was a clash of titans, with the two best teams in New England, both undefeated on the day and scoring obscene amounts of points, squaring off for phase one of the State Championships.

Lexington soundly defeated Belmont, 680-180, but what was more notable is that it was, on a regs set, 40 points away from a perfect game. Every tossup was powered; Belmont had 30 PPB; and Lexington had 27.50. We have it on a recording that will be released at the season's end.

The other is from the semifinals of the Garden Cup III, where, in the last game before finals of a single-elim bracket at a 64-team State Championship, Hastings and Livingston, two teams who were and are extremely close friends, faced off. Livingston was the defending State Champion, and Hastings was itching to prove themselves after years of rapid improvement. Hastings opened up an enormous lead in the first half, before Livingston went a run of powers, mounted an incredible comeback, and eked out a 40-point win on the last tossup, immediately followed by them crushing Hunter for a second consecutive State Championship (this year, they won a three-peat). Stats here, but it doesn't tell the whole story at all.

[naan/steak-holding toll]

It definitely wasn't the best game of all time, as both teams made pretty significant errors, but the play-in game between Stanford and Columbia to the finals of Nationals 2021 might have been one of the most dramatic and was easily the most exhilarating game that I've been a part of. I'm told that it was pretty entertaining to watch as well.

[Shahar S.]

How we feeling about the 2025 Nats final as an answer to this?

[Auks Ran Ova]

How we feeling about the 2025 Nats finals as an answer to this?

It's up there!

[quizbowlchamp1]

https://www.naqt.com/stats/tournament/g ... _id=839176


Just go watch the rerun. It's on the NAQT Yt page. No explanation needed.

[quizbowllee]

I gotta give the West Point A - Hastings final match at 2025 SSNCT a shout out. Even without bias, that was one of the most dramatic matches I've ever seen in my career.

[ChrisFromGCity]

I gotta give the West Point A - Hastings final match at 2025 SSNCT a shout out. Even without bias, that was one of the most dramatic matches I've ever seen in my career.

Just watching the live scorecard updates from home was exciting enough!

[quizbowlcaptain]

Just thought I would throw another one of my favorites out... (Yes, I'm in my hotel room at MSNCT today and their might be an update later)

https://www.naqt.com/stats/tournament/g ... id=1231657

2023 MSNCT, Round 9, Rainbow vs Howard B (Shoutout Dutch Connerty). They got off to a great start and we missed a few. We ended up going down -5 -100 at TU6. Then, we clawed our way back and were down 115-100 at the half (TU11). We ended up winning on the last question when Howard negged our captain, Harrison Lockmiller, got it for 10, we 30'd the bonuses to win by 10.

[Somewhere in the Stratosphere]

With so many insane teams attending HSNCT Saturday, don't be surprised if there are more entries into this list soon

[d1crashoutquizbowl]

most lopsided is Montford A Vs. Midtown Classical A at the Fourth Annual Fairview Egghead Invitational Tournament for sure. 835 - 0 is wild

User was reminded to add a complete signature --- the mgmt

[Somewhere in the Stratosphere]

Nominations from 2025 HSNCT (only including playoff games because otherwise this would be way too long)

- Round 28, Wade Hampton 335-325 Strake A. Wade had been phenomenal in close games to this point, with <100 point wins over Edison Academy, Livingston A (420-415 - definitely belongs somewhere in your top few games), and Georgetown Day. This game was close all the way through, with the match's largest lead belonging to Strake at 300-240 with five cycles to go before a WHHS timeout. Apparently Wade won on a protest because the final score changed after the last cycle. Either way, amazing match.

- Round 26, Livingston D 325-315 Walker (GA). Livingston D, a team of only freshmen, had made a habit of punching far above its weight at this HSNCT, with wins over Smarx and Poolesville. This game appeared no different at the start, with Livingston D taking a 255-125 lead at half and extending its advantage to 305-120 after tossup 15. At tossup 18, Livingston D led 325-175, but would not score another point for the rest of the match. Walker, after a timeout, went on to score the next 145 points of the contest, with Karthik Jayaram answering the next 5 tossups in a row in complete disregard of Livingston D's timeout after TU21. Going into the final cycle, Livingston D led 325-320. Karthik Jayaram would buzz...and neg. Livingston D moved on to the next game.

- Round 25: Livingston B 310-285 Caddo Magnet A. This match was back and forth for the whole 24 tossups, with no team gaining a decisive advantage really at any point. Caddo would lead by 45 just for Livingston B to tie things up a few cycles later, then take the lead just for Caddo Magnet to respond. The largest lead of the game was Livingston B's 210-130 advantage over Caddo Magnet after TU14, though even this would prove inconclusive as Caddo Magnet led by 40, 270-230, just 6 cycles later. Caddo Magnet would relinquish this lead, however, as Livingston B scored the next 50 points to lead 280-270 with just two cycles remaining. Caddo Magnet called timeout before proceeding to ten the next tossup, but only get 10 on the bonus, then neg the last question, paving the way for Livingston B to score 30 on the ensuing cycle and win the game.

[Quizbowl Vítězí]

I gotta give the West Point A - Hastings final match at 2025 SSNCT a shout out. Even without bias, that was one of the most dramatic matches I've ever seen in my career.

I could feel the emotions throughout that entire game, especially after Brodie got the last TU to win

[Quizbowl Vítězí]

From 2025 HSNCT, I'd also like to nominate Wade Hampton v. Livingston A from the prelims, as Michael previously noted. I may be biased since I scorekept this game, but it was probably the craziest ending I've seen in my relatively short time in the quizbowl world. After being behind early, Livi comes back up and has a 115-point lead with 3 TUs left. They weren't safe. Wade Hampton got a perfect question the next TU and 35'd the next and then would need all 3 bonuses to win it regardless of power. Wade Hampton got the TU and swept the bonus. I will never forget their reaction to winning (and I'm sure the control room won't either since that was next door). While it certainly wasn't on a huge stage like their rematch in the Super Seven, that'll be a game that goes down in the record books for one of the bigger crunch-time comebacks

https://www.naqt.com/stats/tournament/g ... id=1420789

[Sit Quietly, Alone]

Wade Hampton v. Livingston A

this match was indeed an amazing one. what really takes it over the top is that after the win, livingston's captain bobby wang strolled to the front of the stage, spread out his arms tony-stark style, and bellowed, "do we have the mandate of heaven?!"

we all know the answer.

[quizbowlchamp1]

Wade Hampton v. Livingston A

this match was indeed an amazing one. what really takes it over the top is that after the win, livingston's captain bobby wang strolled to the front of the stage, spread out his arms tony-stark style, and bellowed, "do we have the mandate of heaven?!"

we all know the answer.

average Bobby Wang behavior lol. love when people bring light to the game with their personality.

also imma nominate a game I played against Wayzata Central A at 2025 MSNCT. beautiful close game, read Joel miles live blog of it.

[a_noob_bot]

From 2025 HSNCT, I'd also like to nominate Wade Hampton v. Livingston A from the prelims, as Michael previously noted. I may be biased since I scorekept this game, but it was probably the craziest ending I've seen in my relatively short time in the quizbowl world. After being behind early, Livi comes back up and has a 115-point lead with 3 TUs left. They weren't safe. Wade Hampton got a perfect question the next TU and 35'd the next and then would need all 3 bonuses to win it regardless of power. Wade Hampton got the TU and swept the bonus. I will never forget their reaction to winning (and I'm sure the control room won't either since that was next door). While it certainly wasn't on a huge stage like their rematch in the Super Seven, that'll be a game that goes down in the record books for one of the bigger crunch-time comebacks

https://www.naqt.com/stats/tournament/g ... id=1420789

Best part of all of this is that Wade Hampton guessed one of the most brutal answerlines possible for the last part of the last bonus. Most people (myself included) would have directed a more common and simpler answerline under that much stress, but they didn't (I'm not revealing the answerline bc of open mirrors)