Virginia Grinds Out Road Win Over Boston College Despite Cold Shooting Start
It wasn’t pretty, and it certainly wasn’t easy-but Virginia found a way.
The Cavaliers clawed back from a sluggish first half to secure a 73-66 road win over Boston College, thanks to timely second-half scoring from Thijs De Ridder and Malik Thomas. De Ridder led the way with 17 points, while Thomas added 15, including a strong second-half surge that helped Virginia flip the script.
Let’s break down how the 'Hoos turned a rocky start into a gritty ACC win.
First-Half Woes: Cold Shooting and Defensive Gaps
Virginia’s opening 20 minutes were, in a word, rough.
The Cavaliers came out flat offensively, hitting just 36% from the field, a frigid 13% from three (2-of-16), and an uncharacteristic 25% from the free-throw line. The shooting struggles weren’t just about missed looks-there were issues with ball movement early, particularly off the ball, which disrupted the flow and timing of the offense.
Defensively, the on-ball pressure that’s typically a Virginia staple wasn’t there either. Boston College took advantage, shooting 50% from the floor and 43% from deep in the first half. The Eagles built a lead as large as seven and went into the break up 32-27.
It marked the second straight game where Virginia started slow and looked out of sync early. And this time, it nearly cost them.
Offensive Struggles Continue, But the Cavaliers Adjust
The Cavaliers finished the game just 4-of-23 from beyond the arc-good for 17.4%, their worst three-point shooting performance of the season. And yet, they still found a way to win.
How? They stopped settling.
In the second half, Virginia cut down on the long-range attempts (just 2-of-7 from three after the break) and attacked the paint with more purpose. Malik Thomas, in particular, flipped a switch. After scoring just two points in the first half, he poured in 12 in the second, using his size and aggressiveness to get into the lane and finish through contact.
De Ridder, too, came alive after halftime, scoring 11 of his 17 points down the stretch. He was efficient, decisive, and provided the kind of steady interior presence Virginia needed to stabilize its offense.
Meanwhile, Andrew Lewis-who had played a key role in the previous win over Notre Dame with 21 points and five threes-was quiet in the first half but chipped in with six second-half points to keep the Cavaliers rolling.
The Turning Point: A 21-9 Run to Open the Second Half
Virginia wasted no time coming out of the locker room with urgency. The Cavaliers opened the second half on a 21-9 run over the first six and a half minutes, flipping the momentum and putting Boston College on its heels.
That stretch was fueled by cleaner execution on both ends. Offensively, Virginia got downhill more often, and defensively, they tightened up their ball pressure and rotations-limiting BC’s clean looks and forcing tougher shots.
It wasn’t a dominant performance, but it was a gutsy one-especially considering how poorly Virginia shot from the perimeter. The Cavaliers finished with just nine assists on 28 made field goals, a stat that underscores how much of their offense had to come from individual effort and attacking mismatches rather than crisp half-court execution.
Key Contributions Beyond the Box Score
While De Ridder and Thomas led the scoring charge, Virginia also got valuable minutes from Chance Mallory and Ugonna Onyenso. Both finished with seven points and seven rebounds, providing energy and hustle plays that helped swing momentum in key stretches.
Their contributions might not jump off the stat sheet, but in a game where Virginia needed every edge it could find, those efforts mattered.
Final Thoughts
This wasn’t Virginia’s cleanest win-but it was a tough, resilient one. On a night when the shots weren’t falling and the offense sputtered early, the Cavaliers found other ways to get it done.
The ability to adjust mid-game, lean on second-half scoring from Thomas and De Ridder, and clamp down defensively when it mattered most speaks volumes about this team’s growth.
If Virginia can clean up its starts and find more rhythm from deep, this is a group that can make noise down the stretch in the ACC. But for now, they’ll take the road win-and the lessons that came with it.