Virginia’s seesaw season continues Tuesday night with an Atlantic Coast Conference contest against Boston College in Charlottesville, Va.
The Cavaliers (12-9, 6-5 ACC) have alternated wins and losses in their last eight games, including Saturday’s 69-65 setback at Notre Dame. Virginia also has split its last four home games during a topsy-turvy campaign.
The visiting Eagles (9-11, 4-6) also are trying to gain traction, hoping that Sunday’s 69-56 victory against Pittsburgh might spark their first winning streak since Nov. 26-Dec. 3. They are just 1-6 on the road, however.
Virginia has won eight of the last nine meetings and hasn’t lost to Boston College at home since 2011.
The Cavaliers did a lot of things right in their most recent loss at Notre Dame, dominating the game inside. They outrebounded the Fighting Irish 39-26, posted a 14-0 advantage in second-chance points and got double-doubles from forward Jayden Gardner (22 points, 10 rebounds) and 7-foot-1 Francisco Caffaro (11 points, 12 rebounds).
The Cavaliers lost the game at the 3-point line, making just 3 of 14 compared to 10 of 23 for Notre Dame. Virginia ranks 12th in the ACC in 3-point shooting at 32.8 percent.
It was the first career double-double for Caffaro, a junior from Argentina playing in his 58th career game.
“He’s being more assertive, trusting his hook shot, being a good teammate, rebounding and being more vocal,” Gardner said of Caffaro after the loss. “He’s confident. He’s trusting himself more, and we love to see that. … He’s doing things that we knew he could do all along.”
Like Caffaro, Boston College 7-footer Quinten Post also tallied his first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Pitt. The Mississippi State transfer was playing in his 59th game.
Brothers Makai Ashton-Langford and DeMarr Langford combined for 38 points against the Panthers and the Eagles limited Pitt to 35.1 percent shooting overall, including 27.8 percent (5 of 18) from downtown.
“I thought we played 35 minutes of hardcore defense,” BC coach Earl Grant said. “Guys were trying to contest shots and trying to box out and fighting for loose balls.”
–Field Level Media
