Chestnut Hill, MA— Virginia didn’t lead for most of the afternoon, but when it finally moved in front, the Cavaliers never fully let go.
Behind a balanced scoring effort and steady control of the glass, No. 17 Virginia pulled away late to defeat Boston College 73-66 on Saturday. The win lifted the Cavaliers to 18-3 overall and 7-2 in ACC play.
Thijs De Ridder paced Virginia with 17 points, while Malik Thomas scored 14 and delivered several key baskets during a decisive second-half stretch. Chance Mallory added 11 points as the Cavaliers survived an early hole and a persistent Eagles rally.
Boston College, which controlled the tempo for much of the first half, was led by Donald Hand Jr., who poured in 20 points against the program where his father starred from 1998 to 2001. Fred Payne chipped in 17 points for the Eagles, who fell to 9-12 overall and 2-6 in the conference.
The Eagles dictated play early, leading for the final 18 minutes of the opening half and carrying a five-point advantage into intermission after shooting an efficient 50 percent from the field. Virginia struggled to find a rhythm offensively but stayed within striking distance by winning the rebounding battle.
That work paid off after the break. Sam Lewis converted a three-point play four and a half minutes into the second half to give Virginia its first lead of the game at 41-38. Moments later, Thomas sparked an 11-point burst, scoring eight during that stretch to push the Cavaliers’ lead to seven.
Boston College answered, trimming the margin and briefly threatening to reclaim control. But Virginia responded once more, taking the lead for good when White knocked down a three from the top of the key just under 10 minutes remaining to make it 55-52.
From there, the Cavaliers leaned on their physical edge inside. Virginia finished with a 39-33 rebounding advantage, including 14 offensive boards, creating second-chance opportunities that proved critical down the stretch.
The Eagles stayed within two possessions until Ugonna Onyenson’s dunk extended Virginia’s cushion to 72-64 with under a minute to play, sealing the outcome.
The victory came on the heels of Virginia’s dramatic double-overtime comeback at Notre Dame earlier in the week, marking another test of resilience for the Cavaliers as they continue to climb the ACC standings.
Up Next: Virginia hosts Pittsburgh on Tuesday, while Boston College travels to face No. 4 Duke.
