XI: Lydia D. ekes out dramatic one-point win

One year after the biggest rout in POPS PROPS history, first-year player Lydia D. eked out a one-point triumph (43 points) in POPS PROPS XII over Pete W. and Phil H. (42). Sara S. finished fourth (41) and retained her lead atop the all-time average-distance-from-the-mean rankings as the most consistently successful POPS PROPS player of all time.

Lydia jumped out to a slight one-point advantage with 23 points after the Early Game, Entertainment, Two Halves, and Team Totals questions (a maximum of 48 points possible). Sara sat one point back (22), while Phil (20) and Pete (18) lagged behind. But Phil, in his eighth POPS PROPS, tallied a mind-boggling 18 points in the Individual Totals questions (38 points possible) to seize a commanding five-point lead on the field: Phil 38, Lydia 33, Pete 33, Sara 28.

With 8 questions remaining in the Crossovers and 6 more in the Letters, Sara answered 9 of 14 correctly (7 of 8 Crossovers and 2 of 6 Letters. Meanwhile, Phil went 4 of 14, Pete went 5 of 14, and Lydia went 6 of 14 to make the top four: Phil 42, Lydia 39, Pete 38, Sara S 37. Lydia was the only player of the top 4 with a correct answer on question #85 (Which sum will be greater? Total turnovers or Total goals for Alajuelense vs. Saprissa?) and that one point would prove to be her championship margin.

Only the First Four questions were left to calculate, and Phil was the only one of the four leaders who picked the Chiefs to win and Patrick Mahomes to take MVP. Lydia, Pete, and Sara all picked the Buccaneers and Tom Brady, giving them four points each: Lydia 43, Pete 42, Phil 42, Sara 41.

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