No. 6 Virginia will be looking to avoid an upset and remain at the top of the Atlantic Coast Conference standings when it travels to Boston College on Wednesday night.
Virginia (21-4, 13-3 ACC) can secure the ACC regular season championship and the No. 1 seed for the conference tournament by winning its last four games. After Wednesday’s game at Boston College (13-15, 7-10), the Cavaliers will play at North Carolina before facing Clemson and Louisville at home.
The Cavaliers are seeking their sixth ACC regular season title in the last 10 seasons and 11th in the program’s history.
Virginia has won four in a row since its 74-68 loss at Virginia Tech on Feb. 4, but its last two victories were close calls against teams that began the week tied at the bottom of the ACC standings. Virginia beat Louisville 61-58 last Wednesday and held off Notre Dame 57-55 on Saturday.
The Cavaliers shot 29.2 percent from 3-point range and 36.5 percent overall in the home victory against the Irish.
“I think the saying is always right on: Don’t accept in victory what you wouldn’t in defeat. And I think that’s so true,” Virginia coach Tony Bennett said following Saturday’s win. “And I think you have to look at the film and say, ‘OK, we got the win, we’re thankful for that. But what areas did we unplug and where were we unsound or what do we have to do on both ends?’ And then you attack those areas and you just keep (working).”
Kihei Clark passed John Crotty to become Virginia’s career assists leader during the victory over Notre Dame.
Boston College never trailed in Saturday’s 75-69 win at Florida State. Quinten Post scored 21 points and Devin McGlockton added 16 points.
Post made 7 of 11 shots from the field, including each of his five 3-point attempts, in 25 minutes before he fouled out. It was the sixth time this season he’s scored at least 20 points in an ACC game.
“(Post) opened the game up with his ability to play outside,” Eagles coach Earl Grant said. “You know, most big guys can’t do that … don’t give you that element. So I thought the way he shot the ball in the first half gave us some cushion.”
McGlockton did most of his scoring from the free throw line, where he was 10-for-10. The Eagles were 29-for-35 at the stripe and the Seminoles were 30-for-34 in a foul-filled contest.
The victory at Florida State allowed the Eagles to match their 2021-22 victory total and surpass their conference win total from last season.
“We’ve got a group that has been working hard to try to move our program in the right direction,” Grant said. “Guys are playing hard, really competing. So I’m just happy for the players.”
Virginia earned a 76-57 home victory in the earlier meeting between the teams this season on Jan. 28. Jayden Gardner and Armaan Franklin each scored 18 points to lead the Cavaliers. BC’s Post scored a game-high 24.
Virginia has won 10 of its past 11 meetings with Boston College and leads the series 19-8.
–Field Level Media
