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U.Va. scores easy victory against Boston College on strength of best shooting night of the season
By Norm Wood
Daily Press |
Virginia guard Tomas Woldetensae (53) brings the ball up against Boston College during an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, in Charlottesville, Va. (Erin Edgerton/The Daily Progress via AP) (Erin Edgerton/AP)
CHARLOTTESVILLE — With no shortage of motivation after losing last month at Boston College, Virginia responded Wednesday night with its best shooting effort of the season in a 78-65 victory.
On the way to a sixth win in its last seven games, U.Va. shot 57.8% from the floor (26 of 45) and 58.8% from 3-point range (10 of 17) — both season highs for the Cavaliers. Guards Kihei Clark and Braxton Key scored 17 points each to propel U.Va. (18-7, 10-5 ACC) to its best scoring game of the season, topping its production in an 80-73 loss Feb. 8 at Louisville.
"I do think we are trying to run good stuff, and we are a little smoother and more efficient with it, but it certainly makes a big difference when you make some 3′s," U.Va. coach Tony Bennett said. "I thought we had a decent balance, like we did last game [64-62 win Saturday night at North Carolina], but you never assume anything offensively. That was my message to the guys, 'This is some really good offense, but whatever you do, don't get too comfortable.'"
It was the first time this season U.Va. made more than 50% of its 3-pointers in a game, and the third time it shot better than 50% from the floor. Despite its shooting success, U.Va. had to work early in the second half to put away BC.
Leading 35-23 at halftime, U.Va. saw BC (13-14, 7-9) creep back within striking distance in the opening minutes of the second half. Forward Jairus Hamilton's short jumper with 14:45 remaining trimmed the Cavaliers' cushion to 45-39.
As BC started to threaten, Key helped ignite an 11-3 run by scoring six points in a 3½-minute span. U.Va. led by double digits for the final 12 minutes, 13 seconds.
Clark, who also had eight assists and just two turnovers, scored 14 of his points in the second half. Guard Tomas Woldetensae and forward Jay Huff both scored 14 points, while forward Mamadi Diakite added 10 points.
"Our defense had a few slip-ups," Huff said. "We didn't play perfect defense, and we never will. I think it was huge that we had the offense going a little bit. It is a great feeling when shots are going in - feels like an easy game."
BC, which shot 46% from the floor, was paced by 6-foot-11 Nik Popovic's 22 points. Popovic didn't play in BC's 60-53 home win Jan. 7 against U.Va.
After spending most of the season as one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in Division I, U.Va. has gotten hot in the last six games, making 48 of 112 (42.9%) shots from long range.
"They're just playing with so much more confidence," BC coach Jim Christian said. "The same shots are open, there's just a little more pop in their step, a little more pop in their shot. It's why Tony's a great coach."
Woldetensae made four of his eight 3-point attempts against BC, and Huff connected on three of five. Woldetensae has made three or more shots from beyond the 3-point line in four of U.Va.'s last seven games.
BC played without guard Derryck Thornton, the Eagles' leading scorer (13.1 points per game), after he suffered back spasms in the shoot-around before the game. Thornton also missed BC's home game last month against U.Va., but the Eagles didn't need his services in their victory.
It looked like BC might be even more short-handed Wednesday night for most of the game after starting forward Steffon Mitchell (7.2 points per game entering the game) suffered what appeared to be a left arm injury on U.Va.'s second possession. Though he'd return before halftime and end up playing 33 minutes, he scored just three points.
U.Va. experienced its own injury issue later in the game when freshman guard Casey Morsell went down with a right ankle or leg injury with 7:02 left and the Cavaliers leading 63-50. Morsell, who played 15 minutes and didn't score, wouldn't return to the game.
As efficient as U.Va. was from 3-point range in the early going (7 of 12 in the first half), BC still managed to hang around when both teams endured lengthy cold stretches shooting from the floor. U.Va. led 22-19 with 4:53 remaining in the first half, but BC had missed nine of its last 10 shots leading up to that point, while the Cavaliers had missed seven of their last eight.
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BC would continue to struggle, while U.Va. snapped out of it in a big way.
In the final seven minutes of the opening half, U.Va. went on a 15-4 run, highlighted by a pair of 3-pointers from Woldetensae, four points from Diakite and a 3-pointer from Huff with four seconds left to give the Cavaliers their 12-point advantage at the break.
Huff and Woldetensae both scored 11 points in the first half. Huff added seven rebounds and two blocks in the half.
"Every game is big at this point," Key said. "We feel that we can win out the rest of the regular season, and that is one of our goals right now, but we have to take it one game at a time. Obviously, when you play against a team that you lost to, whether you think you can beat them or not, you want to go out and get some revenge."
Norm Wood, 757-247-4642, nwood@dailypress.com
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