Hot Shooting Leads Virginia to 78-65 Win Over Boston College

Postgame Notes – Boston College | Postgame Quotes – Boston College | Boxscore

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Five players finished in double-figures and Virginia (18-7, 10-5 ACC) shot 57.8 percent in its 78-65 win over Boston College (13-14, 7-9 ACC) on Wednesday night at John Paul Jones Arena.
 
Virginia was 10-of-17 beyond the arc and shot 68.4 percent in the second half in the win. Kihei Clark (Woodland Hills, Calif.) had 17 points and eight assists and Braxton Key (Charlotte, N.C.) finished with 17 points and six rebounds. Jay Huff (Durham, N.C.) and Tomas Woldetensae (Bologna, Italy) each finished with 14 points and Mamadi Diakite (Conakry, Guinea, Africa) added 10 points.
 
UVA held Boston College to 46 percent shooting. The Eagles had a 27-26 edge in rebounds. Both teams scored 30 points in the paint. Nik Popovic led BC with 22 points.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Huff scored eight of Virginia’s first 10 points of the game, including two 3-pointers, as UVA took a 10-4 lead. Boston College had its only lead of the game, 16-15, before the Cavaliers closed the first half with a 23-7 run. Woldetensae and Huff hit threes in the final minute of the first half as UVA led 35-23.
 
UVA made nine field goals in a row, going back to the Huff and Woldetensae threes, as it opened the second half, 6-for-6. BC cut the lead to six, but Key had back-to-back baskets to make it a double-digit lead for the Cavaliers. UVA led by as many as 20, 70-50, after a 9-0 run with 5:22 to play. The Eagles had an 8-0 run to cut it to 70-58, but Clark scored the next seven points for UVA in the win.
 
THE GAME BALL GOES TO
Kihei Clark matched a team-high with 17 points and dished out eight assists with just two turnovers. He was 6-for-12 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free throw line.
 
NOTES
 • UVA has won 10 or more ACC contests in a school-best eight straight seasons
• UVA scored a season-high 78 points
• UVA has a three-game winning streak and has won six of its last seven games
• UVA had five players in double figures for the first time this season
• Key had a career-high four blocks
• Clark (8 assists) moved into ninth on UVA’s single-season list with 154
• Diakite (1 block) moved into sole possession of second place on UVA’s career blocks list (149)

UP NEXT
Virginia is on the road on Saturday, Feb. 22, at Pitt. The game is set to tip at noon on ESPN at the Peterson Events Center