No. 7 Virginia Blows Past Boston College, 76-57

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — No. 7 Virginia (16-3, 8-2 ACC) outscored Boston College (10-12, 4-7 ACC) in both halves as UVA downed the Eagles 76-57 Saturday afternoon (Jan. 28) at John Paul Jones Arena.

With the win, the Cavaliers notched their sixth consecutive victory, marking the longest active win streak by an ACC team.

Despite shooting 29 percent from 3-point range, Virginia managed to shoot 51 percent from the field. Including Saturday’s win, the Cavaliers have now shot over 50 percent in two of its last three games.

Jayden Gardner and Armaan Franklin led the Cavaliers with 18 points apiece. Isaac McKneely (12 points) and Reece Beekman (11 points, 8 assists) also scored in double figures for the Hoos.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Virginia led the Eagles 35-27 at the intermission as Franklin tallied 10 of his 18 total points in the first half. After committing three turnovers in the first 2:30 of play, BC center Quintin Post (24 points) scored 14 straight points to give the Eagles an early 16-13 lead. Virginia responded with a 9-0 run to regain the lead, which it would maintain for the remainder of the contest. The UVA run was highlighted by a pair of dunks by Ryan Dunn, which erupted the JPJ crowd. The Eagles broke up Virginia’s run by connecting on two field goals before the Cavaliers scored nine unanswered points, yet again, in the waning minutes of the half. Gardner recorded eight points and tallied five of six rebounds in the first half.

The Cavaliers heated up from the floor in the second, shooting over 55 percent from the field. Gardner opened the second stanza by scoring eight more points in the first 4:30. In addition to Gardner, McKneely also tallied 10 points in the second half. Virginia grasped its largest lead of the game, 76-49, with 3:26 remaining. Both teams checked in their reserves in the final minutes of Saturday’s contest. Boston College ended the game on a high note by scoring the final eight points of the contest.

THE GAME BALL GOES TO:
Jayden Gardner. Gardner tied with Franklin for a team-high 18 points on 8 of 12 shooting and knocked down both of his attempts at the line. His 18 points marked his best scoring performance in ACC play this season and most since scoring 26 points against Maryland Eastern Shore (Nov. 25) earlier this season. Gardner also added six rebounds and one steal.

UP NEXT
The Cavaliers travel to Syracuse (13-8, 6-4 ACC) on Monday, Jan. 30. Tipoff at JMA Wireless Dome is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN.